I N D EPEN D EN T P U B L I C AT I O N BY RACONTEUR.

NET #0626 21/10/2019

FUTURE OF HR
03 HR IS SHAPING
CORPORATE PURPOSE 04 WHY WE MUST TACKLE
NAME BIAS HEAD ON 19 THE BUSINESS CASE
FOR NEURODIVERSITY

The Leading
Employee Engagement
Platform 1.7 above

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I N D EPEN D EN T P U B L I C AT I O N BY RACONTEUR.NET #0626 21/10/2019 RACONTEUR.NET 03

PURPOSE

FUTURE OF HR

Shaping the conscience

Distributed in

of business
Published in association with
Forget pure financials, corporate purpose is now the number-one
priority for businesses and human resources is driving the change

Contributors Cath Everett Given the traditional link between

Mark Wilson/Getty images

HR and ethics though, what action
Iman Amrani Martin Barrow he link between human can professionals take to support
Award-winning
journalist and producer,
Former health editor,
news editor, foreign
T resources (HR) and ethical the creation of a sustainable ethical
behaviour is rising up the culture within their organisation?
she works for The news editor and wider corporate agenda as more and According to Jose Hernandez,
Guardian, producing business news editor
more business leaders recognise its chief executive of organisational
and presenting at The Times, he
contemporary political specialises in the NHS importance and implications. change consultancy Ortus Strategies
and social short and social care. For example, in a landmark and author of Broken Business, one
documentaries. move in August, the bosses of 181 of the keys to success is enabling an
of America’s biggest companies environment where open communi-
Peter Crush Cath Everett backed a revised definition of corpo- cation is possible at all levels.
Business journalist, Journalist specialising in rate purpose, indicating that mak- This means supporting a cul-
specialising in workplace, leadership and
ing money for shareholders and ture in which employees feel able
human resources and organisational culture,
management issues, he she also writes about the maximising profits were no longer to speak up and challenge existing
was deputy editor of impact of technology on the top priority. ways of working. It includes using
HR magazine. business and society. Instead, the declaration says, there anonymous whistleblowing chan-
should also be a parallel focus on nels without fear of reprisals, and
Emily Hill Magda Ibrahim improving society by providing value leaders prepared to listen and act
Freelance journalist and Award-winning journalist,
to customers, investing in employ- swiftly and consistently, even in the
author, she is the former she writes for London
Evening Standard and ees, dealing ethically with suppliers, case of corporate “superstars”.
commissioning editor at
The Spectator and feature specialist media including supporting local communities and “It’s about fostering an environ-
writer for The Mail Campaign, Third Sector protecting the environment. Jamie Dimon, CEO and ment that communicates the impor-
chairman of JP Morgan, who
on Sunday. and PRWeek. Among the senior execu- was one of 181 American tance of values, puts people first
companies who signed
tives signing up to the defini- Business Roundtable’s new and holds those in power account-
Nick Martindale Azadeh Williams tion devised by the Business definition of a corporation’s able when things go wrong,” says
ultimate purpose
Award-winning freelance Business, technology Roundtable, a group that includes Mr Hernandez. “It’s also important
journalist and editor, he and marketing
the most influential leaders in cor- to incentivise ethical conduct by
contributes to national journalist, she is founder
business media and trade of communications porate America, were Jeff Bezos, governance and leadership, innova- Interestingly, though, the Ethisphere building ethical considerations and
press, specialising in HR consultancy AZK Media. founder of Amazon, and Jamie tion and reputation. Institute indicates that far from harm- performance targets into the organi-
and workplace issues. Dimon, chairman of J.P. Morgan. Jason Fowler, HR director at tech ing business, behaving ethically actu- sation’s processes for promotion and
But the move was neither purely firm Fujitsu UK and Ireland, sums ally generates considerable benefits variable compensation.”
altruistic, nor did it come out of the up a truly ethical organisation as over the longer term. An annual com- Other ways HR can help is to
blue. On the one hand, in an age in being one that cares about the “how” parison between the stock prices of undertake robust due diligence
which public scrutiny is on the rise as much as the “what”. firms that make its list and those on and ethics-based vetting for all
and many governments are taking In terms of financials, for exam- the Large Cap Index reveals that, over new recruits as well as provide
a harder line on corporate miscon- ple, it is about “genuinely and a three-year period, the former out- ethical communication and train-
duct, organisations are keen to avoid sincerely focusing on how they perform the latter by 10.5 per cent and, ing schemes. The aim is not only
Publishing manager Head of production
Libby Owen-Jones Justyna O'Connell reputational damage, not least as it are delivered, not just what they over five years, by 14.4 per cent. to increase awareness and under-
deters customers and investors, says are”, he says. The same applies to As Mr Fowler says: “Achieving suc- standing of ethical matters at all
Associate editor Design Megan Reitz, professor of leader- everything from recruitment and cess by making money is a short- levels of the business, but also to
Peter Archer Joanna Bird
ship and dialogue at Hult Ashridge staff progression to how the wider term mantra, but if you create a com- help people navigate any dilem-
Sara Gelfgren
Executive Education. supply chain operates. mon purpose, which is a feature of mas they may encounter on a day-
Deputy editor Kellie Jerrard
Francesca Cassidy Harry Lewis-Irlam On the other hand, companies are “Most medium to large organisa- ethical leadership, you’ll find there’s to-day basis.
Celina Lucey also coming under growing pressure tions have a set of values that they more innovation as well as higher Most important of all, says
Managing editor Colm McDermott internally as the notions of “purpose may make a big song and dance engagement and commitment, so it Fujitsu’s Mr Fowler, is that organ-
Benjamin Chiou Samuele Motta and ethics” take on increasing sig- about. But being ethical is about makes a material difference.” isational ethics are owned by the
Jack Woolrich nificance for the workforce. putting them into practice and even A further advantage of this C-suite as what they do is emulated
Digital content executive
Head of design “An ethical culture is important being prepared to take decisions approach is the positive impact it across the organisation.
Taryn Brickner
Tim Whitlock in terms of motivation and, ulti- that may disadvantage the business has on a company’s employer brand, “So it can’t be treated as an add-on
mately, employee and business per- commercially to remain congruent which also makes it easier to attract or something you do once a year by
formance,” says Professor Reitz. “So with them,” says Mr Fowler. and retain staff, he adds. giving a talk at an awards dinner,”
there’s a drive from both inside and he explains. “You have to live it day
Although this publication is funded through advertising and outside, which means these issues to day because, if people can see the
sponsorship, all editorial is without bias and sponsored features are now being taken more seriously FIVE MOST COMMON METHODS TO MEASURE ETHICAL CULTURE leadership team translating princi-
are clearly labelled. For an upcoming schedule, partnership at the senior-leadership level.” ples into action, it becomes the cor-
inquiries or feedback, please call +44 (0)20 3877 3800 or There is currently no standard defi- porate standard.”
email info@raconteur.net HR/engagement survey 82%
nition what an “ethical organisation” Mr Fowler also believes HR direc-
Raconteur is a leading publisher of special-interest content and
actually looks like, says Andrew tors have a particular role to play
research. Its publications and articles cover a wide range of topics,
Leigh, co-founder and director at Physical site visit 81% as the conscience of the organisa-
including business, finance, sustainability, healthcare, lifestyle and
technology. Raconteur special reports are published exclusively in training consultancy Maynard Leigh tion. “This involves holding up a
The Times and The Sunday Times as well as online at raconteur.net Associates. Although he adds that Review social media 81% mirror to the rest of the leadership
The information contained in this publication has been obtained the criteria used by the Ethisphere team, to challenge the decisions of
from sources the Proprietors believe to be correct. However, Institute in compiling its annual the board and those further down,
no legal liability can be accepted for any errors. No part of this list of 128 large, public exemplar Management interviews 74% and hold everyone to account in
publication may be reproduced without the prior consent of the
companies is “the closest we’ve got the way we live and breathe our
Publisher. © Raconteur Media
to a broad answer”. These criteria Employee focus groups 73% values. So, ultimately, it’s about
cover compliance, corporate citi- embodying the ethics of the organ-
@raconteur /raconteur.net @raconteur_london zenship and responsibility, culture, Ethisphere 2018 isation,” he concludes.

raconteur.net /future-hr-2019
I N D EPEN D EN T P U B L I C AT I O N BY RACONTEUR.NET #0626 21/10/2019 RACONTEUR.NET 03

PURPOSE

FUTURE OF HR

Shaping the conscience

Distributed in

of business
Published in association with
Forget pure financials, corporate purpose is now the number-one
priority for businesses and human resources is driving the change

Contributors Cath Everett Given the traditional link between

Mark Wilson/Getty images

HR and ethics though, what action
Iman Amrani Martin Barrow he link between human can professionals take to support
Award-winning
journalist and producer,
Former health editor,
news editor, foreign
T resources (HR) and ethical the creation of a sustainable ethical
behaviour is rising up the culture within their organisation?
she works for The news editor and wider corporate agenda as more and According to Jose Hernandez,
Guardian, producing business news editor
more business leaders recognise its chief executive of organisational
and presenting at The Times, he
contemporary political specialises in the NHS importance and implications. change consultancy Ortus Strategies
and social short and social care. For example, in a landmark and author of Broken Business, one
documentaries. move in August, the bosses of 181 of the keys to success is enabling an
of America’s biggest companies environment where open communi-
Peter Crush Cath Everett backed a revised definition of corpo- cation is possible at all levels.
Business journalist, Journalist specialising in rate purpose, indicating that mak- This means supporting a cul-
specialising in workplace, leadership and
ing money for shareholders and ture in which employees feel able
human resources and organisational culture,
management issues, he she also writes about the maximising profits were no longer to speak up and challenge existing
was deputy editor of impact of technology on the top priority. ways of working. It includes using
HR magazine. business and society. Instead, the declaration says, there anonymous whistleblowing chan-
should also be a parallel focus on nels without fear of reprisals, and
Emily Hill Magda Ibrahim improving society by providing value leaders prepared to listen and act
Freelance journalist and Award-winning journalist,
to customers, investing in employ- swiftly and consistently, even in the
author, she is the former she writes for London
Evening Standard and ees, dealing ethically with suppliers, case of corporate “superstars”.
commissioning editor at
The Spectator and feature specialist media including supporting local communities and “It’s about fostering an environ-
writer for The Mail Campaign, Third Sector protecting the environment. Jamie Dimon, CEO and ment that communicates the impor-
chairman of JP Morgan, who
on Sunday. and PRWeek. Among the senior execu- was one of 181 American tance of values, puts people first
companies who signed
tives signing up to the defini- Business Roundtable’s new and holds those in power account-
Nick Martindale Azadeh Williams tion devised by the Business definition of a corporation’s able when things go wrong,” says
ultimate purpose
Award-winning freelance Business, technology Roundtable, a group that includes Mr Hernandez. “It’s also important
journalist and editor, he and marketing
the most influential leaders in cor- to incentivise ethical conduct by
contributes to national journalist, she is founder
business media and trade of communications porate America, were Jeff Bezos, governance and leadership, innova- Interestingly, though, the Ethisphere building ethical considerations and
press, specialising in HR consultancy AZK Media. founder of Amazon, and Jamie tion and reputation. Institute indicates that far from harm- performance targets into the organi-
and workplace issues. Dimon, chairman of J.P. Morgan. Jason Fowler, HR director at tech ing business, behaving ethically actu- sation’s processes for promotion and
But the move was neither purely firm Fujitsu UK and Ireland, sums ally generates considerable benefits variable compensation.”
altruistic, nor did it come out of the up a truly ethical organisation as over the longer term. An annual com- Other ways HR can help is to
blue. On the one hand, in an age in being one that cares about the “how” parison between the stock prices of undertake robust due diligence
which public scrutiny is on the rise as much as the “what”. firms that make its list and those on and ethics-based vetting for all
and many governments are taking In terms of financials, for exam- the Large Cap Index reveals that, over new recruits as well as provide
a harder line on corporate miscon- ple, it is about “genuinely and a three-year period, the former out- ethical communication and train-
duct, organisations are keen to avoid sincerely focusing on how they perform the latter by 10.5 per cent and, ing schemes. The aim is not only
Publishing manager Head of production
Libby Owen-Jones Justyna O'Connell reputational damage, not least as it are delivered, not just what they over five years, by 14.4 per cent. to increase awareness and under-
deters customers and investors, says are”, he says. The same applies to As Mr Fowler says: “Achieving suc- standing of ethical matters at all
Associate editor Design Megan Reitz, professor of leader- everything from recruitment and cess by making money is a short- levels of the business, but also to
Peter Archer Joanna Bird
ship and dialogue at Hult Ashridge staff progression to how the wider term mantra, but if you create a com- help people navigate any dilem-
Sara Gelfgren
Executive Education. supply chain operates. mon purpose, which is a feature of mas they may encounter on a day-
Deputy editor Kellie Jerrard
Francesca Cassidy Harry Lewis-Irlam On the other hand, companies are “Most medium to large organisa- ethical leadership, you’ll find there’s to-day basis.
Celina Lucey also coming under growing pressure tions have a set of values that they more innovation as well as higher Most important of all, says
Managing editor Colm McDermott internally as the notions of “purpose may make a big song and dance engagement and commitment, so it Fujitsu’s Mr Fowler, is that organ-
Benjamin Chiou Samuele Motta and ethics” take on increasing sig- about. But being ethical is about makes a material difference.” isational ethics are owned by the
Jack Woolrich nificance for the workforce. putting them into practice and even A further advantage of this C-suite as what they do is emulated
Digital content executive
Head of design “An ethical culture is important being prepared to take decisions approach is the positive impact it across the organisation.
Taryn Brickner
Tim Whitlock in terms of motivation and, ulti- that may disadvantage the business has on a company’s employer brand, “So it can’t be treated as an add-on
mately, employee and business per- commercially to remain congruent which also makes it easier to attract or something you do once a year by
formance,” says Professor Reitz. “So with them,” says Mr Fowler. and retain staff, he adds. giving a talk at an awards dinner,”
there’s a drive from both inside and he explains. “You have to live it day
Although this publication is funded through advertising and outside, which means these issues to day because, if people can see the
sponsorship, all editorial is without bias and sponsored features are now being taken more seriously FIVE MOST COMMON METHODS TO MEASURE ETHICAL CULTURE leadership team translating princi-
are clearly labelled. For an upcoming schedule, partnership at the senior-leadership level.” ples into action, it becomes the cor-
inquiries or feedback, please call +44 (0)20 3877 3800 or There is currently no standard defi- porate standard.”
email info@raconteur.net HR/engagement survey 82%
nition what an “ethical organisation” Mr Fowler also believes HR direc-
Raconteur is a leading publisher of special-interest content and
actually looks like, says Andrew tors have a particular role to play
research. Its publications and articles cover a wide range of topics,
Leigh, co-founder and director at Physical site visit 81% as the conscience of the organisa-
including business, finance, sustainability, healthcare, lifestyle and
technology. Raconteur special reports are published exclusively in training consultancy Maynard Leigh tion. “This involves holding up a
The Times and The Sunday Times as well as online at raconteur.net Associates. Although he adds that Review social media 81% mirror to the rest of the leadership
The information contained in this publication has been obtained the criteria used by the Ethisphere team, to challenge the decisions of
from sources the Proprietors believe to be correct. However, Institute in compiling its annual the board and those further down,
no legal liability can be accepted for any errors. No part of this list of 128 large, public exemplar Management interviews 74% and hold everyone to account in
publication may be reproduced without the prior consent of the
companies is “the closest we’ve got the way we live and breathe our
Publisher. © Raconteur Media
to a broad answer”. These criteria Employee focus groups 73% values. So, ultimately, it’s about
cover compliance, corporate citi- embodying the ethics of the organ-
@raconteur /raconteur.net @raconteur_london zenship and responsibility, culture, Ethisphere 2018 isation,” he concludes.

raconteur.net /future-hr-2019
04 FUTURE OF HR RACONTEUR.NET 05
Commercial feature
“It is certainly more noticeable was true. “There’s evidence to sug-

katleho Seisa / Getty images

when recruiting for client-facing gest that bias works in favour of
staff, receptionists or customer ser- some minorities when it comes to

Behaviours trump skills

vice people,” she says. “Small and tech,” she says. “Asian names get
medium-sized enterprises, espe- priority often because of the stere-
cially family-run businesses outside otypes that people have about these
London where there is less cultural groups of people.”

in the future of work

diversity, are also more likely to be As far as she is concerned, name-
reluctant to interview candidates blind recruitment is the way for-
with foreign names.” ward. “It’s one of the easiest ways
Ms Olugosi used her maiden of giving people genuine access to
name, Chapman, when working opportunities. They get to make a
in a client-facing position. “If I fair representation of themselves in
have to cold call a client and they
ask me what my name is, I have
the interview, based on their skill-
set and the opportunity,” says Ms
As organisations plan for a world where they don’t know what skills
to go through the whole thing Bernard-Thompson. they’ll need, they must develop a talent strategy that embraces
of spelling and pronunciation,'' And it does seem to be becom-
she explains. “I don’t care if they ing the norm. When Mr Cameron people with the behaviours to adapt to change
spell it right, but they can feel a bit announced in 2015 he would be
awkward, so I just used Chapman introducing blind recruitment to
and only started using the name the civil service, HSBC, Deloitte
Olugosi when I was no longer and the BBC followed suit. After igital technology has trans-
client facing.” all, assumptions and opinions will D formed the work environment.
Business consultant Julia always be made on whatever infor- The rise of automation and the
Bernard-Thompson also found mation people have to hand. fourth industrial revolution are changing
her name would lead to some diffi- Ms Bernard-Thompson speaks the jobs landscape at an unprecedented
cult interactions. Although she is in her Tedx talk about how Barack pace, creating uncertainty in organisa-
Trinidadian, her name would often Obama was known as Barry Sotoro tions and among the people they employ.
lead some people to assume she was before college, a Westernised According to Deloitte, nearly half of
white, an assumption they would abbreviation of his first name today’s jobs will be gone in the next ten
often not be able to hide. “People and his step-father’s surname. years. They won’t necessarily disappear,
have said ‘you don’t look like a Bill Clinton uses his step-fa- however, so much as evolve. This new
Julia Bernard-Thompson’ to me,” ther’s name and his legal name world of work needs people who can
DISCRIMINATION
she says. “But they would struggle is William, and Tony Blair’s full easily adapt in ever-transient environ-

Why we must tackle

to explain what they meant by that name is actually Anthony Charles ments, with behaviours that ensure they
when I asked them.” Lynton Blair. are effective and engaged no matter how
Ms Bernard-Thompson has spent Did these changes impact on the much technology and jobs change.
a lot of time researching name bias positions these individuals found Human resources professionals are

name bias head on

and recently did a Tedx talk on the themselves in further along in expected to navigate organisations
impact of names. She found that their careers? It’s hard to tell, but through this new and evolving envi-
while in most cases, minority appli- before we start asking what’s in a ronment, putting processes in place to
cants would be more likely to be name, surely the focus should sim- support their business strategies. They
discriminated against, there were ply be what are the skills and expe- need to identify, develop and transi-
some examples where the reverse rience on this person’s CV? tion people into the right roles, assess
talent for future skills and empower
employees to evolve alongside chang-
ing jobs and requirements.
Do applicants with Iman Amrani

Helloquence / Unsplash
Middle Eastern or North African ori- But even organisations with high digi- “There are some underlying behav- them. Due to its work in human capi-
gin had to send 80 and 90 per cent tal readiness face difficulties identifying iours that companies can identify when tal solutions, Aon is in the unique posi-
white-sounding hat’s in a name? people with white-sounding more applications respectively. the right talent. In a global study of 1,400 searching for those who will thrive in the tion of being able to provide data on

names have an W Shakespeare’s enduring names are nearly twice as likely to

Small and medium-sized This isn’t simply a question of leaders by Aon’s Assessment Solutions, digital world,” says Andreas Lohff, chief jobs and organisation structures, but
question from Romeo and get call-backs for jobs than people political correctness, it’s a mat- only one in four respondents who rated executive of Aon’s Assessment Solutions. also on individuals. Its digital readiness
unfair advantage Juliet still holds meaning more with ethnic-sounding names?” enterprises are more likely ter of law. The Equality Act says their company’s digital transformation “A lot of it circles around adaptability. model focuses on the core competen-
than 400 years after the play was Nearly five years later, the job employers who discriminate on highly also thought it had critical com- Can you stay employable and adjust to cies of learnability, agility and curiosity,
when looking for written, as name bias continues to market has certainly become more
to be reluctant to interview grounds of age, disability, gender petencies in place to future-proof their new challenges and tasks? How open are all three of which show significant cor-

jobs? Research
be a barrier for employees. complicated thanks to the issues candidates with foreign names reassignment, marriage or civil workforce. Just 11 per cent said their you to new experiences? How curious are relations with their respective perfor-
In 2015, then-prime minister and uncertainties around Brexit, partnership, pregnancy and mater- hiring processes incorporate assess- you about what is possible? How many mance factors.

suggests they do David Cameron addressed the

issue, albeit less poetically, at the
business and the future, and this
can arguably contribute to uncon-
nity, race, religion or belief, sex
and sexual orientation are break-
ments for digital competencies and a
mere 7 per cent said their organisation
ideas can you contribute yourself? And
can you reinvent your old area of respon-
“We can measure the behaviours,
skills, interests, motives and intellectual
Conservative party conference. scious bias being an increasing ing the law, and are opening them- knows how to identify individuals with sibility in terms of a digital experience? capacity of people on various levels, not
He said: “Do you know that in our issue in the workplace. selves up to potential prosecution. digital potential. “Mindset is also important because we just managerial, but also project manag-
country today, even if they have A study launched by the British This is the real reason why there know people can get very comfortable, ers, shop-floor workers, and even down
exactly the same qualifications, Academy at the beginning of the year revealed that on average 24 has been a widespread concerted but they need to be able to leave their to people like drivers and machine oper-
per cent of applicants of white effort from big organisations to comfort zone. And self-organisation is ators,” says Mr Lohff. “We have a broad

39%
British origin received a positive put managers through training to crucial because the only way you can get range of measurement instruments that
response from employers. Only 15 counter unconscious bias. a company up to speed is by delegating can provide a digital profile.
POSITIVE RESPONSES (CALLBACKS), BY APPLICANTS’ REGION OF ORIGIN
per cent of minority ethnic appli- But this alone isn’t going to change
Name bias in practice tasks further down the line and empow- “Aon’s Assessment Solutions can help
cants, who applied with identical the culture and attitudes which ering people to organise themselves in organisations understand their chal-
20% 19% 16% 14% 13% 12% CVs and covering letters, received
positive responses.
led, in 2016, to the Confederation
of British Industry recommending
Abdelkarim Messaoudi was
struggling to find low-paid
gone as far as to change the name
on their passport if they feel it is
of companies know how to identify
individuals with digital potential
the way they treat tasks and projects.
That means more focus on project man-
lenges, but also help individuals to
understand their own talents and how
Western India, China, Eastern Europe Pakistan and Middle East Nigeria, Ethiopia, Concerns about English lan- the removal of candidates’ names marketing internships in France holding them back. agement skills, teamwork and the ability they will fit into a future set of tasks and

35%
Europe and Japan, South and Russia Bangladesh and North Somalia, Uganda guage fluency or education levels from job applications so employers after graduating and decided to Mr Messaoudi decided to to take responsibility for your own deci- jobs. We help organisations to measure
United States Korea, Vietnam Africa can’t be raised in these cases as all would only focus on the skills and switch the name on his CV to a explain he had struggled with sions rather than pushing decision-mak- and select the right people, but at the
applicants stated clearly in their experience of applicants. more French-sounding one. He name bias and wanted to be ing up a line.” same time provide a lot of self-assess-
12% CVs that they were either British Many agencies representing can- also decided not to disclose he assessed for his attitude and A digital working environment ment to individuals who can then carve
born or had lived in the coun- didates will take the names off speaks Arabic. Within four weeks skillset, even though he had have a hiring process that allows requires teams to work virtually and out their own opportunities and under-
South America
try since the age of six and had a applications when putting them his luck changed and he found omitted one of his key skills to be quick decisions regarding a globally. Teams working across func- stand the skills and qualities they’ll need
and Caribbean
British education. forward for jobs. Holly Olugosi is a position that was essentially a seen as a possible candidate. candidate’s digital readiness tions are needed to connect the dots, to achieve their career aspirations.”
Minority ethnic applicants and a talent and training partner the foot in the door for his career to In France, it is illegal to bring knowledge together, innovate

49%
white applicants with non-Eng- The One Group, a recruitment take off. collect data concerning race and quickly react to changes in the
lish names have to send on aver- agency based in Cambridge, and It did make things slightly or religion, in the interests of a environment. Flexible structures sup- For more information please visit
age 60 per cent more applications previously ran their finance desk, uncomfortable when it came “colour-blind society”. However, port cross-functional collaboration assessment.aon.com/digital-readiness
to get a positive response from an putting forward prospective can- to the onboarding stage as he this can make it difficult to and allow set-up of teams based on
employer than a white person of didates to clients in the finance had to explain why he had used monitor discrimination and feel they are executing an occurring challenges.
British origin. world. She has seen first hand a different name on his CV. To diversity as there is no real effective digital strategy across Data is central to creating a future-
People of Pakistani origin had to how name bias has held back qual- avoid this, some people have data to measure. their organisation proof talent strategy. HR professionals
make 70 per cent more applications, ified candidates from being called Based on market research of should look at organisations that are
Nuffield College 2019 while candidates of Nigerian and for interview. 1,350 respondents globally further ahead and benchmark against
04 FUTURE OF HR RACONTEUR.NET 05
Commercial feature
“It is certainly more noticeable was true. “There’s evidence to sug-

katleho Seisa / Getty images

when recruiting for client-facing gest that bias works in favour of
staff, receptionists or customer ser- some minorities when it comes to

Behaviours trump skills

vice people,” she says. “Small and tech,” she says. “Asian names get
medium-sized enterprises, espe- priority often because of the stere-
cially family-run businesses outside otypes that people have about these
London where there is less cultural groups of people.”

in the future of work

diversity, are also more likely to be As far as she is concerned, name-
reluctant to interview candidates blind recruitment is the way for-
with foreign names.” ward. “It’s one of the easiest ways
Ms Olugosi used her maiden of giving people genuine access to
name, Chapman, when working opportunities. They get to make a
in a client-facing position. “If I fair representation of themselves in
have to cold call a client and they
ask me what my name is, I have
the interview, based on their skill-
set and the opportunity,” says Ms
As organisations plan for a world where they don’t know what skills
to go through the whole thing Bernard-Thompson. they’ll need, they must develop a talent strategy that embraces
of spelling and pronunciation,'' And it does seem to be becom-
she explains. “I don’t care if they ing the norm. When Mr Cameron people with the behaviours to adapt to change
spell it right, but they can feel a bit announced in 2015 he would be
awkward, so I just used Chapman introducing blind recruitment to
and only started using the name the civil service, HSBC, Deloitte
Olugosi when I was no longer and the BBC followed suit. After igital technology has trans-
client facing.” all, assumptions and opinions will D formed the work environment.
Business consultant Julia always be made on whatever infor- The rise of automation and the
Bernard-Thompson also found mation people have to hand. fourth industrial revolution are changing
her name would lead to some diffi- Ms Bernard-Thompson speaks the jobs landscape at an unprecedented
cult interactions. Although she is in her Tedx talk about how Barack pace, creating uncertainty in organisa-
Trinidadian, her name would often Obama was known as Barry Sotoro tions and among the people they employ.
lead some people to assume she was before college, a Westernised According to Deloitte, nearly half of
white, an assumption they would abbreviation of his first name today’s jobs will be gone in the next ten
often not be able to hide. “People and his step-father’s surname. years. They won’t necessarily disappear,
have said ‘you don’t look like a Bill Clinton uses his step-fa- however, so much as evolve. This new
Julia Bernard-Thompson’ to me,” ther’s name and his legal name world of work needs people who can
DISCRIMINATION
she says. “But they would struggle is William, and Tony Blair’s full easily adapt in ever-transient environ-

Why we must tackle

to explain what they meant by that name is actually Anthony Charles ments, with behaviours that ensure they
when I asked them.” Lynton Blair. are effective and engaged no matter how
Ms Bernard-Thompson has spent Did these changes impact on the much technology and jobs change.
a lot of time researching name bias positions these individuals found Human resources professionals are

name bias head on

and recently did a Tedx talk on the themselves in further along in expected to navigate organisations
impact of names. She found that their careers? It’s hard to tell, but through this new and evolving envi-
while in most cases, minority appli- before we start asking what’s in a ronment, putting processes in place to
cants would be more likely to be name, surely the focus should sim- support their business strategies. They
discriminated against, there were ply be what are the skills and expe- need to identify, develop and transi-
some examples where the reverse rience on this person’s CV? tion people into the right roles, assess
talent for future skills and empower
employees to evolve alongside chang-
ing jobs and requirements.
Do applicants with Iman Amrani

Helloquence / Unsplash
Middle Eastern or North African ori- But even organisations with high digi- “There are some underlying behav- them. Due to its work in human capi-
gin had to send 80 and 90 per cent tal readiness face difficulties identifying iours that companies can identify when tal solutions, Aon is in the unique posi-
white-sounding hat’s in a name? people with white-sounding more applications respectively. the right talent. In a global study of 1,400 searching for those who will thrive in the tion of being able to provide data on

names have an W Shakespeare’s enduring names are nearly twice as likely to

Small and medium-sized This isn’t simply a question of leaders by Aon’s Assessment Solutions, digital world,” says Andreas Lohff, chief jobs and organisation structures, but
question from Romeo and get call-backs for jobs than people political correctness, it’s a mat- only one in four respondents who rated executive of Aon’s Assessment Solutions. also on individuals. Its digital readiness
unfair advantage Juliet still holds meaning more with ethnic-sounding names?” enterprises are more likely ter of law. The Equality Act says their company’s digital transformation “A lot of it circles around adaptability. model focuses on the core competen-
than 400 years after the play was Nearly five years later, the job employers who discriminate on highly also thought it had critical com- Can you stay employable and adjust to cies of learnability, agility and curiosity,
when looking for written, as name bias continues to market has certainly become more
to be reluctant to interview grounds of age, disability, gender petencies in place to future-proof their new challenges and tasks? How open are all three of which show significant cor-

jobs? Research
be a barrier for employees. complicated thanks to the issues candidates with foreign names reassignment, marriage or civil workforce. Just 11 per cent said their you to new experiences? How curious are relations with their respective perfor-
In 2015, then-prime minister and uncertainties around Brexit, partnership, pregnancy and mater- hiring processes incorporate assess- you about what is possible? How many mance factors.

suggests they do David Cameron addressed the

issue, albeit less poetically, at the
business and the future, and this
can arguably contribute to uncon-
nity, race, religion or belief, sex
and sexual orientation are break-
ments for digital competencies and a
mere 7 per cent said their organisation
ideas can you contribute yourself? And
can you reinvent your old area of respon-
“We can measure the behaviours,
skills, interests, motives and intellectual
Conservative party conference. scious bias being an increasing ing the law, and are opening them- knows how to identify individuals with sibility in terms of a digital experience? capacity of people on various levels, not
He said: “Do you know that in our issue in the workplace. selves up to potential prosecution. digital potential. “Mindset is also important because we just managerial, but also project manag-
country today, even if they have A study launched by the British This is the real reason why there know people can get very comfortable, ers, shop-floor workers, and even down
exactly the same qualifications, Academy at the beginning of the year revealed that on average 24 has been a widespread concerted but they need to be able to leave their to people like drivers and machine oper-
per cent of applicants of white effort from big organisations to comfort zone. And self-organisation is ators,” says Mr Lohff. “We have a broad

39%
British origin received a positive put managers through training to crucial because the only way you can get range of measurement instruments that
response from employers. Only 15 counter unconscious bias. a company up to speed is by delegating can provide a digital profile.
POSITIVE RESPONSES (CALLBACKS), BY APPLICANTS’ REGION OF ORIGIN
per cent of minority ethnic appli- But this alone isn’t going to change
Name bias in practice tasks further down the line and empow- “Aon’s Assessment Solutions can help
cants, who applied with identical the culture and attitudes which ering people to organise themselves in organisations understand their chal-
20% 19% 16% 14% 13% 12% CVs and covering letters, received
positive responses.
led, in 2016, to the Confederation
of British Industry recommending
Abdelkarim Messaoudi was
struggling to find low-paid
gone as far as to change the name
on their passport if they feel it is
of companies know how to identify
individuals with digital potential
the way they treat tasks and projects.
That means more focus on project man-
lenges, but also help individuals to
understand their own talents and how
Western India, China, Eastern Europe Pakistan and Middle East Nigeria, Ethiopia, Concerns about English lan- the removal of candidates’ names marketing internships in France holding them back. agement skills, teamwork and the ability they will fit into a future set of tasks and

35%
Europe and Japan, South and Russia Bangladesh and North Somalia, Uganda guage fluency or education levels from job applications so employers after graduating and decided to Mr Messaoudi decided to to take responsibility for your own deci- jobs. We help organisations to measure
United States Korea, Vietnam Africa can’t be raised in these cases as all would only focus on the skills and switch the name on his CV to a explain he had struggled with sions rather than pushing decision-mak- and select the right people, but at the
applicants stated clearly in their experience of applicants. more French-sounding one. He name bias and wanted to be ing up a line.” same time provide a lot of self-assess-
12% CVs that they were either British Many agencies representing can- also decided not to disclose he assessed for his attitude and A digital working environment ment to individuals who can then carve
born or had lived in the coun- didates will take the names off speaks Arabic. Within four weeks skillset, even though he had have a hiring process that allows requires teams to work virtually and out their own opportunities and under-
South America
try since the age of six and had a applications when putting them his luck changed and he found omitted one of his key skills to be quick decisions regarding a globally. Teams working across func- stand the skills and qualities they’ll need
and Caribbean
British education. forward for jobs. Holly Olugosi is a position that was essentially a seen as a possible candidate. candidate’s digital readiness tions are needed to connect the dots, to achieve their career aspirations.”
Minority ethnic applicants and a talent and training partner the foot in the door for his career to In France, it is illegal to bring knowledge together, innovate

49%
white applicants with non-Eng- The One Group, a recruitment take off. collect data concerning race and quickly react to changes in the
lish names have to send on aver- agency based in Cambridge, and It did make things slightly or religion, in the interests of a environment. Flexible structures sup- For more information please visit
age 60 per cent more applications previously ran their finance desk, uncomfortable when it came “colour-blind society”. However, port cross-functional collaboration assessment.aon.com/digital-readiness
to get a positive response from an putting forward prospective can- to the onboarding stage as he this can make it difficult to and allow set-up of teams based on
employer than a white person of didates to clients in the finance had to explain why he had used monitor discrimination and feel they are executing an occurring challenges.
British origin. world. She has seen first hand a different name on his CV. To diversity as there is no real effective digital strategy across Data is central to creating a future-
People of Pakistani origin had to how name bias has held back qual- avoid this, some people have data to measure. their organisation proof talent strategy. HR professionals
make 70 per cent more applications, ified candidates from being called Based on market research of should look at organisations that are
Nuffield College 2019 while candidates of Nigerian and for interview. 1,350 respondents globally further ahead and benchmark against
06 FUTURE OF HR RACONTEUR.NET 07

TRUST Replace top-down

GaudiLab / Shutterstock

Matthew Henry / Unsplash

approaches with

Five top ways to build

genuinely shared
responsibility

trust in the workplace

As the media landscape has shifted,
with trust held not only by tradi-
tional outlets, but the advent of news

4
delivered through social networks,
so too has the wider business world.

RISE
Although trust in Facebook

3
Analysing employee data is crucial for forward-thinking dropped 68 per cent following last

organisations, but doing this without compromising year’s Cambridge Analytica data
scandal, when it was revealed the
workplace trust is a delicate balance to strike company harvested millions of peo-
ple’s personal data without their con-
sent and used it for political advertis-

ABOVE
ing purposes, the move away from a At Accenture, Ms Shook adds that
top-down hierarchy of trust is a hall-
Be clear about the professional services company’s
mark of the 21st century. the benefits of Specialisation at Scale initiative uses
In an HR capacity, the same prin- data analysis and employee data and intelligent tech-
ciple of “distributed trust” can data initiatives and can evaluate any business intelligence nology to the same end.
Magda Ibrahim apply, argues Saïd Business School’s impact on employees and society. “With nearly 500,000 employees,
Ms Botsman. “The phrase 'build- Training employees how to use we need a robust and agile way to

THE
ewer than half of all employees Meanwhile, Accenture research Conversely, businesses that effect ing trust' sends a signal that trust is data and AI, and encouraging them As Accenture found, data collection ensure the right team, with the right
F have a great deal of trust in the examining the workforce data prac- responsible data strategies could ben- something physical and businesses to challenge systems and give feed- and analysis is better received by skills, is ready at the right time to
workplace, but organisations tices that most influence employ- efit from increased trust, translat- are in control,” she explains. “But back is empowering. employees when there is a distinct serve our clients and spark innova-
that get it right can benefit enormously. ees’ levels of trust in the workplace ing to 6.4 per cent of future revenue employees decide whether they give “Listening to and involving people benefit to them. tion,” she says.
The 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals a financial imperative. If growth globally, with industries such their trust to a business.” is part of infusing a culture of trust. Where career progression is con- “In pilot programmes, our peo-
found employees who trust their organisations adopt irresponsi- as health and travel gaining a boost of On a practical level, this means Gone are the days of ‘managing’ cerned, data can be used to person- ple confirmed that this new analyt-
employer are better engaged, and ble data analytics strategies, they more than 8 per cent. involving people in designing systems people, rather we need to collabo- alise training programmes, while ics engine identified their speciali-

NOISE
remain more loyal and committed than risk losing more than 6 per cent of Here are five key ways to build trust and putting in place executives who rate and co-create with them,” adds that same data can be used to ensure sations correctly 93 per cent of the
their more sceptical peers. future revenue growth. in the workplace. are accountable for ethical workplace Accenture’s Ms Shook. employees use their skills to the full, time.

2
bolster creativity and design more “As it relates to the responsible
productive teams. use of their data, the clear benefit to
An example is Cisco’s Talent Cloud, them is their capability and creden-

Sai Kiran Anagani / Unsplash

Jon Moore / Unsplash

which combines internal employee tials are clearly articulated and visi-
data, predictive analytics and mar- ble; something they are proud of and
ket intelligence to create more that enables them to be staffed more
dynamic teams, with people allo- easily and quickly on projects which
cated to the right job. showcase their strengths.”

Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock
Video jobs get FOUR TIMES the

1
engagment of text alone.* Show off your
opportunities, culture and brand in a way

5
Be open and honest about data analytics and usage no written job description can.
In an age when organisations can Botsman, trust fellow at the Saïd
track almost all employee activity, Business School, University of Oxford.

1 RECORD
Give employees more “The number-one action that mat- Accenture’s research, Decoding through video and audio surveil- “Trust issues fundamentally come
ters most to building trust through Organizational DNA, found that 92 lance, wearable devices, GPS track- from human concerns around risks,
control and ensure
the responsible use of workforce per cent of employees are open to this. ing, internet and email use, it is expectations and control,” she adds.
data security data is to ask permission,'' says Ellyn And new capabilities such as block- unsurprising some employees lack “I see many companies jump to the
Shook, chief leadership and human chain could be “transformational” trust in the workplace. technical solutions without under-
When the General Data Protection resources officer at Accenture. in their impact on HR, says Chris The HR Technology Conference standing what their employees are Ensure HR practices involving AI are See How:
Regulation was introduced across the “Workers see the opportunity in Murray, leader of PwC’s global tech- in Las Vegas this month unveiled genuinely concerned about with
transparent and explainable

2 EDIT
European Union in 2018, it enshrined sharing data, but are understanda- nology network. no fewer than 80 new tech prod- workforce data.
basic principles empowering people bly wary, particularly in light of data As well as giving employees a com- ucts, spanning advanced analytics “The most critical action busi-
to discover what data is held about breaches they hear about or may have prehensive, trustworthy record of and employee health intelligence, nesses need to take when it comes A global study on trust in the work- Francesca Rossi, AI global ethics
them and even request its erasure. experienced personally.” their education, skills, training and to employee engagement and diver- to trust and data is to be very clear place by EY notes one of the top fac- leader of IBM Research, says: “Most
But legal regulation and trust in Asking employees if they want to performance, it can enhance cyber- sity tools powered by artificial intel- about their intentions. Why are they tors cited as very important is equal current AI systems are biased, but we
the workplace don’t necessarily go share their data each time it is col- security and fraud prevention. ligence (AI). keeping this information? Who is in opportunity for pay and promotion believe in the next five years that bias

3 POST
hand in hand, and the trust factor lected in exchange for certain benefits “Blockchain presents a way to use In our tech-led HR environment, control? Most trust issues arise when for all people regardless of differences, in AI will be tamed and eliminated.
can be amplified by going beyond that improve their performance, well- technology to win back lost trust,” “companies need to be open and hon- neither of these questions is ade- such as gender, country of origin and “Only a diverse and inclusive
the legal requirements. being or safety can make a difference. according to PwC. est about data usage”, cautions Rachel quately addressed.” thinking style, as well as a diverse approach can help shape AI in a way
environment. that is both trustworthy and benefi-
This is critical as more HR practices cial, besides being smart.”
are moving to AI-based technology, For example, systems assessing
in which one of the key issues is that fair pay will compare an employee

Misconduct is inevitable. Visit BrokenBiz.com to learn more Record, edit and post engaging videos to
all algorithmic systems are based on to peers, but may not understand
existing data. issues of race, location and age,
about Broken Business: Seven Steps to Monster jobs with one simple, free app.
Scandal is not.
If the existing data is biased – a while systems that analyse job fit
strong possibility as more than 180 may institutionalise discriminatory
Reform Good Companies Gone Bad by human biases have been scientifically hiring practices.

José Hernandez, CEO of Ortus Strategies. classified – then any predictions and “There is a major movement in
recommendations will be too.
A team from Massachusetts Institute
the AI community to make systems
‘explainable’,” says Josh Bersin,
Find out more:
“A compelling and authoritative account of the landmark
hiring.monster.co.uk
of Technology and IBM is tackling the research analyst and founder of
issue to ensure AI systems are trust- Bersin by Deloitte people strategy
crises that have shaken global businesses, and of the worthy and trained with unbiased tool. “If you understand why a pre-
strategies that have helped them recover.” data, and is developing algorithms diction was made, you can act on it

*OnGig Research
that can be easily explained. more intelligently.”
– Louis J. Freeh, Former FBI Director
06 FUTURE OF HR RACONTEUR.NET 07

TRUST Replace top-down

GaudiLab / Shutterstock

Matthew Henry / Unsplash

approaches with

Five top ways to build

genuinely shared
responsibility

trust in the workplace

As the media landscape has shifted,
with trust held not only by tradi-
tional outlets, but the advent of news

4
delivered through social networks,
so too has the wider business world.

RISE
Although trust in Facebook

3
Analysing employee data is crucial for forward-thinking dropped 68 per cent following last

organisations, but doing this without compromising year’s Cambridge Analytica data
scandal, when it was revealed the
workplace trust is a delicate balance to strike company harvested millions of peo-
ple’s personal data without their con-
sent and used it for political advertis-

ABOVE
ing purposes, the move away from a At Accenture, Ms Shook adds that
top-down hierarchy of trust is a hall-
Be clear about the professional services company’s
mark of the 21st century. the benefits of Specialisation at Scale initiative uses
In an HR capacity, the same prin- data analysis and employee data and intelligent tech-
ciple of “distributed trust” can data initiatives and can evaluate any business intelligence nology to the same end.
Magda Ibrahim apply, argues Saïd Business School’s impact on employees and society. “With nearly 500,000 employees,
Ms Botsman. “The phrase 'build- Training employees how to use we need a robust and agile way to

THE
ewer than half of all employees Meanwhile, Accenture research Conversely, businesses that effect ing trust' sends a signal that trust is data and AI, and encouraging them As Accenture found, data collection ensure the right team, with the right
F have a great deal of trust in the examining the workforce data prac- responsible data strategies could ben- something physical and businesses to challenge systems and give feed- and analysis is better received by skills, is ready at the right time to
workplace, but organisations tices that most influence employ- efit from increased trust, translat- are in control,” she explains. “But back is empowering. employees when there is a distinct serve our clients and spark innova-
that get it right can benefit enormously. ees’ levels of trust in the workplace ing to 6.4 per cent of future revenue employees decide whether they give “Listening to and involving people benefit to them. tion,” she says.
The 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals a financial imperative. If growth globally, with industries such their trust to a business.” is part of infusing a culture of trust. Where career progression is con- “In pilot programmes, our peo-
found employees who trust their organisations adopt irresponsi- as health and travel gaining a boost of On a practical level, this means Gone are the days of ‘managing’ cerned, data can be used to person- ple confirmed that this new analyt-
employer are better engaged, and ble data analytics strategies, they more than 8 per cent. involving people in designing systems people, rather we need to collabo- alise training programmes, while ics engine identified their speciali-

NOISE
remain more loyal and committed than risk losing more than 6 per cent of Here are five key ways to build trust and putting in place executives who rate and co-create with them,” adds that same data can be used to ensure sations correctly 93 per cent of the
their more sceptical peers. future revenue growth. in the workplace. are accountable for ethical workplace Accenture’s Ms Shook. employees use their skills to the full, time.

2
bolster creativity and design more “As it relates to the responsible
productive teams. use of their data, the clear benefit to
An example is Cisco’s Talent Cloud, them is their capability and creden-

Sai Kiran Anagani / Unsplash

Jon Moore / Unsplash

which combines internal employee tials are clearly articulated and visi-
data, predictive analytics and mar- ble; something they are proud of and
ket intelligence to create more that enables them to be staffed more
dynamic teams, with people allo- easily and quickly on projects which
cated to the right job. showcase their strengths.”

Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock
Video jobs get FOUR TIMES the

1
engagment of text alone.* Show off your
opportunities, culture and brand in a way

5
Be open and honest about data analytics and usage no written job description can.
In an age when organisations can Botsman, trust fellow at the Saïd
track almost all employee activity, Business School, University of Oxford.

1 RECORD
Give employees more “The number-one action that mat- Accenture’s research, Decoding through video and audio surveil- “Trust issues fundamentally come
ters most to building trust through Organizational DNA, found that 92 lance, wearable devices, GPS track- from human concerns around risks,
control and ensure
the responsible use of workforce per cent of employees are open to this. ing, internet and email use, it is expectations and control,” she adds.
data security data is to ask permission,'' says Ellyn And new capabilities such as block- unsurprising some employees lack “I see many companies jump to the
Shook, chief leadership and human chain could be “transformational” trust in the workplace. technical solutions without under-
When the General Data Protection resources officer at Accenture. in their impact on HR, says Chris The HR Technology Conference standing what their employees are Ensure HR practices involving AI are See How:
Regulation was introduced across the “Workers see the opportunity in Murray, leader of PwC’s global tech- in Las Vegas this month unveiled genuinely concerned about with
transparent and explainable

2 EDIT
European Union in 2018, it enshrined sharing data, but are understanda- nology network. no fewer than 80 new tech prod- workforce data.
basic principles empowering people bly wary, particularly in light of data As well as giving employees a com- ucts, spanning advanced analytics “The most critical action busi-
to discover what data is held about breaches they hear about or may have prehensive, trustworthy record of and employee health intelligence, nesses need to take when it comes A global study on trust in the work- Francesca Rossi, AI global ethics
them and even request its erasure. experienced personally.” their education, skills, training and to employee engagement and diver- to trust and data is to be very clear place by EY notes one of the top fac- leader of IBM Research, says: “Most
But legal regulation and trust in Asking employees if they want to performance, it can enhance cyber- sity tools powered by artificial intel- about their intentions. Why are they tors cited as very important is equal current AI systems are biased, but we
the workplace don’t necessarily go share their data each time it is col- security and fraud prevention. ligence (AI). keeping this information? Who is in opportunity for pay and promotion believe in the next five years that bias

3 POST
hand in hand, and the trust factor lected in exchange for certain benefits “Blockchain presents a way to use In our tech-led HR environment, control? Most trust issues arise when for all people regardless of differences, in AI will be tamed and eliminated.
can be amplified by going beyond that improve their performance, well- technology to win back lost trust,” “companies need to be open and hon- neither of these questions is ade- such as gender, country of origin and “Only a diverse and inclusive
the legal requirements. being or safety can make a difference. according to PwC. est about data usage”, cautions Rachel quately addressed.” thinking style, as well as a diverse approach can help shape AI in a way
environment. that is both trustworthy and benefi-
This is critical as more HR practices cial, besides being smart.”
are moving to AI-based technology, For example, systems assessing
in which one of the key issues is that fair pay will compare an employee

Misconduct is inevitable. Visit BrokenBiz.com to learn more Record, edit and post engaging videos to
all algorithmic systems are based on to peers, but may not understand
existing data. issues of race, location and age,
about Broken Business: Seven Steps to Monster jobs with one simple, free app.
Scandal is not.
If the existing data is biased – a while systems that analyse job fit
strong possibility as more than 180 may institutionalise discriminatory
Reform Good Companies Gone Bad by human biases have been scientifically hiring practices.

José Hernandez, CEO of Ortus Strategies. classified – then any predictions and “There is a major movement in
recommendations will be too.
A team from Massachusetts Institute
the AI community to make systems
‘explainable’,” says Josh Bersin,
Find out more:
“A compelling and authoritative account of the landmark
hiring.monster.co.uk
of Technology and IBM is tackling the research analyst and founder of
issue to ensure AI systems are trust- Bersin by Deloitte people strategy
crises that have shaken global businesses, and of the worthy and trained with unbiased tool. “If you understand why a pre-
strategies that have helped them recover.” data, and is developing algorithms diction was made, you can act on it

*OnGig Research
that can be easily explained. more intelligently.”
– Louis J. Freeh, Former FBI Director
08 FUTURE OF HR RACONTEUR.NET 09
Commercial feature
and new talent into our organisa-

Grant Durr / Unsplash

tion, and keeps the existing workforce
happy and motivated.”
In a fast-churn environment where The way our
companies are working hard to attract
brand is promoted

How to be an employer of choice

and retain top talent, using market-
ing efforts to reach only customers
and not as part of the recruitment
externally matches
process is missing a massive oppor- the experience we
tunity, says James Dodkins, customer
experience specialist and founder of
deliver to our
Rockstar CX. people every day Companies that take a strategic approach to employee recognition and build a strong employer
“HR and marketing should be work-
ing together to also build innovative, brand will be in the best position to attract, retain and unlock the finest talent
creative marketing campaigns target-
ing the type of employees they need,” forms the basis of everything we do.
he says. “This is especially critical We sell on our PEAK culture, we build
when trying to attract great, future product on it, we even use it as a verb
leaders in today’s crowded market.” to inspire change.”
Ben Plomion, chief growth officer for But like any cross-functional effort, rganisations face huge chal- Workhuman, the leading provider of
computer vision company GumGum, there are always going to be clashes in O lenges in attracting the human applications.
agrees. He highlights that just as mar- opinion and some reluctance to adopt best and brightest people. “Tell people why they will enjoy work-
keting maps customer journeys, HR change. This is where the C-suite Workplace automation means those in ing at your company, from the on-site
should have a similar strategy to opti- have a role to play in helping to steer “human” jobs will become highly prized cafeteria to the dog-friendly policy,
mise the candidate journey to attract and align the vision to drive trans- employees, so companies need strate- and help them understand what the
and retain them. The functions are formation from the inside out and gies to motivate and engage this talent. job really is. It’s about triggering a
particularly similar when it comes to top-down. A recent survey of more than 3,500 reaction based on sharing genuine
the “top of the sales funnel” concept “The difference between HR and workers by the Workhuman® Analytics insights into company culture.”
of raising brand awareness to draw marketing is that human resources & Research Institute (WARI) found that While developing an employer brand
both talent and client interest. isn’t as upfront in asking for what employees who have a sense of meaning is important, it is essential that it truly
“In many ways at the brand aware- they need, whereas marketers are and purpose are more than four times represents the company. If the culture
ness phase, HR and marketing depart- used to asking for budget or vali- as likely to love their jobs. Respondents of the company doesn’t reflect what
ments behave in the same way,” he dating additional support,” says Mr ranked meaningful work as the biggest the employer brand communicates to
says. “For instance, PR-related activi- Bonnici. “Don’t be afraid to ask the factor influencing their career choices, the world, people will feel duped and
ties, like media coverage and awards, CEO, like we did, to tear down a big above compensation and perks. soon move on. Improving company cul-
amplify positive public conversations hole in the middle of your building, If the future of work is human, it is ture and developing values starts from
and really serve a dual marketing and if it means you can create a brilliant, crucial that organisations appeal to the top, but should not end there.
HR function, attracting talent just as campus-style space where your peo- people’s emotional connection to both “A lot of people say they’re going
much as they attract new clients.” ple and your customers love to collab- their job and their employer’s values. to have a good culture and here are
At grassroots level, the main dif- orate and be genuinely proud of being Workers are twice as likely to recom- our core values, mission and pur-
ference between HR and market- part of your brand.” mend a company to a friend if they pose, and expect that culture to just
ing has been that human resources think it has meaning and purpose, and appear,” says Mr Beckett. “The real-
S TR ATEGY focuses more on engaging with inter- three times as likely when their personal ity is you can’t dictate your culture
nal audiences, while the marketing WHAT HR CAN LEARN values align with company values. in a company. You can set its tone

Future HR leaders need

team works with external audiences. FROM MARKETING FOR THE To attract highly skilled employ- from the top, but then you have to
But experts agree both function with RECRUITMENT “FUNNEL” ees, whose values match corporate unlock the power of people to live it.
a shared goal of clearly and consist- values, companies must have a strong Acknowledging people who represent
ently communicating the vision, mis- employer brand. According to research those core values is the way to ensure

to think like marketers

sion and values of the organisation. EMPLOYER BRANDING from LinkedIn, four out of five talent company culture reflects the com-
“Marketing is great at wrapping up acquisition managers believe that pany mission.” Recognition should be emphasised feedback more social and crowd-
ideas like value propositions into eas- employer branding has a significant Organisations can’t manufac- as a key initiative, rather than just sourced, with the right supervision,”
Company branding and messaging
ily digestible packages, simplifying impact on the ability to hire great ture a culture, but they can facili- deployed as a trivial afterthought. This says Mr Beckett. “Only once those
can be used to attract candidates
them so they become real assets for
nurturing and maintaining a happy,
and communicate to them what
makes the organisation special
talent. It allows companies to commu-
nicate their culture and values through
tate one by placing recognition at
its heart. Through recognising those
requires executive support. People
have to feel there is support from the
You can’t dictate your foundations are in place do we run
the technology, enabling colleagues to
Having human resources embrace the clients and employees are provided productive and committed work- storytelling to prospective employees. who exhibit the values that have been top and that it’s for the whole work- company culture and then communicate, express gratitude and
“Storytelling means telling candidates defined, companies can engrain their force, peers and management alike. tell their stories by posting comments
expect it to just appear.
with an experience that enables force,” says Kelly Batelle, GumGum’s
methods of the marketing department them to thrive. vice president of people operations. BUILDING A TALENT PIPELINE about your company’s monthly green purpose into the life of the business Inclusivity is the key to a great culture. and even pictures and videos.

can help attract top talent, improve

“Employees increasingly expect “Distilling these key business ideas, challenge, whether that’s to cycle to in a positive way. Showing what “good” Putting a name to the initiative is You’ve got to unlock the power “Once the programme goes live,
the experience they have inside their so everyone within the organisation work or use only refillable water bot- looks like through praise allows them also important. US airline JetBlue, we constantly monitor the data. Our
The various channels, from job
of people to live it through
retention and even grow the business company to reflect the consumer embraces them, means HR needs to sites to social media, through tles, rather than just saying it values to celebrate the best of their culture for example, has a crew member rec- data scientists have deep mathe-
experience they have in their every- think and operate like marketers or, which a candidate enters the
recruitment process
sustainability,” says Grant Beckett, vice within the subtle day-to-day interac- ognition programme called Lift and recognition and reinforcement matical regression analysis in their
day lives,” says Sage’s chief people better yet, work in collaboration with president of global product strategy at tions between their people. employees embrace this language in background and we partner with our
officer Amanda Cusdin. “By making marketing.” their interactions, “lifting” each other clients to understand what the pro-
Sage a great place to work, where our For Ryan Bonnici, G2’s chief market- through public praise and gratitude. It gramme is achieving for metrics like
Azadeh Williams CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE
people can bring their whole selves ing officer, unpacking and simplify- becomes part of the core fabric of the retention, employee engagement,
and do their best work in an inclu- ing the company’s values has formed company and over time feels organic for organisations on a global basis. The safety and billing rates. For any busi-
he disruptive age of cus- Just as marketers use data, insights sive culture, we will have happy col- a critical part of how HR and market- and authentic. Across diverse indus- company’s technology, consultancy ness metric of importance to a par-

87% 90%
Just as important as customer ex-
T tomer centricity means the and net promoter scores to under- leagues who also deliver the best ing work together, not only to attract perience, how a candidate interacts
with the organisation throughout
tries, big global brands such as Cisco, and industry insights help foster posi- ticular company, we can analyse how
pressure is on businesses stand their customers, build loyalty experience for our customers.” great talent within his team, but also LinkedIn, and Procter & Gamble are tive working cultures that are based on the recognition and culture created
to be agile and take a more holistic and optimise the customer experi- For a global corporate brand such to help the business grow in exciting the application process is key investing in recognition initiatives. gratitude, inclusion and fairness, key through it results in hard ROI.”
view of both their employee and cus- ence, HR can use similar tools and as Adobe, the partnership between new directions. Having started with “You also have to invest in it,” says attributes when building an attractive When people feel invested in their
tomer experience. Traditional, siloed methodologies to uncover employee HR and marketing isn’t new, with the a team of five marketers in 2017, Mr Mr Beckett. “Programmes that just employer brand. company and feel their company is
CANDIDATE SELECTION
ways of working in HR and market- satisfaction trends or issues. two functions working together like Bonnici now works with around 65 in amount to a pat on the back die out There is a powerful emotional psy- invested in them, they become its best
ing working are no longer relevant, as For Sage, the largest technology a well-oiled machine. The company his department alone, and growing. of UK employees would would recommend their over time because recognition givers chology behind recognition and recruiters and ambassadors. Most
fresh opportunities emerge to collab- company in the FTSE 100, which actively fosters a culture where HR The change started with rethinking Using tools and methods borrowed recommend their company company if personal values get tired of high fives or ‘likes’. There appreciation. Workhuman helps importantly, the human connections
orate and attract the best talent, while recruits more than 13,000 employ- and marketing work together to com- the company’s key values. from marketing, HR can gain to a friend if their job has match the company has to be substance behind it, such as C-suite and HR leaders tap into that made through recognition moments
fostering an inclusive culture that ees worldwide, HR and marketing municate any promotional activities “When I joined the organisation, insights into potential hires in order meaning or purpose values/mission calibrating recognition moments with psychology to rethink how traditional provide invaluable content to reflect
to find the best possible fit
drives greater brand advocacy. working together is an integral part and achievements internally, and the values were long, complicated points that can be cashed in for real recognition programmes work. Its in the employer brand, forming the
The success behind HR and mar- of cross-functional best practice. inspire their people to be great advo- and nobody remembered them,” he rewards, like a trip for your family. consulting group helps them to struc- basis of the company’s vital pub-

2 out of 3
keting working together stems from This approach is critical for ensur- cates for the company. explains. “It was hard to find the ‘clear “As research by SHRM/Workhuman ture and brand a programme in the lic-facing identity.
REPORTING AND DATA ANALYSIS
a mutual understanding that cus- ing a high-performing and scala- “The most important thing for us compass’ to guide us collectively. So employees who have shows, companies that invest one per most effective way, then deliver strong
tomer experience and employee expe- ble approach to both customer and is ensuring the way our brand is pro- we created a new simple acronym, worked at their company cent or more of payroll in rewards and return on investment (ROI).
rience go hand in hand. Those who employee success. moted externally matches the expe- PEAK, which stands for performance, Once the hire is complete, it is for one to eight years would recognition are nearly three times as “We spend a lot of time thinking For more information please visit
are getting it right know what it takes By applying the strategic lenses of rience we deliver to our people every entrepreneurial spirit, authenticity important to feed back reports and leave their current company likely to rate their programme as excel- about the name of the programme www.workhuman.com
data to all stages of the “funnel” for a company with a more
to form a natural bond and create an customer success and colleague suc- day,” says Tania Garrett, Adobe’s sen- and kindness. We’ve found attract- lent, compared to those that don’t.” and how to change traditional thinking
to assess how efficient the candi- positive, human culture
employee engagement programme cess, Sage’s HR and marketing teams ior director of employee experience, ing candidates who embody these date-to-hire conversion is and to Workhuman facilitates human con- about feedback as being only a respon-
with the same level of care as cli- are encouraged to share best prac- Europe, Middle East and Africa. “It’s values are the ones who stay with us keep improving WARI Survey Report nections with innovative technology sibility of managers. We teach them
ent-facing initiatives. tice when it comes to ensuring both a big part of what attracts customers and become great employees. It now that supports recognition moments about trusting their workforce, making
08 FUTURE OF HR RACONTEUR.NET 09
Commercial feature
and new talent into our organisa-

Grant Durr / Unsplash

tion, and keeps the existing workforce
happy and motivated.”
In a fast-churn environment where The way our
companies are working hard to attract
brand is promoted

How to be an employer of choice

and retain top talent, using market-
ing efforts to reach only customers
and not as part of the recruitment
externally matches
process is missing a massive oppor- the experience we
tunity, says James Dodkins, customer
experience specialist and founder of
deliver to our
Rockstar CX. people every day Companies that take a strategic approach to employee recognition and build a strong employer
“HR and marketing should be work-
ing together to also build innovative, brand will be in the best position to attract, retain and unlock the finest talent
creative marketing campaigns target-
ing the type of employees they need,” forms the basis of everything we do.
he says. “This is especially critical We sell on our PEAK culture, we build
when trying to attract great, future product on it, we even use it as a verb
leaders in today’s crowded market.” to inspire change.”
Ben Plomion, chief growth officer for But like any cross-functional effort, rganisations face huge chal- Workhuman, the leading provider of
computer vision company GumGum, there are always going to be clashes in O lenges in attracting the human applications.
agrees. He highlights that just as mar- opinion and some reluctance to adopt best and brightest people. “Tell people why they will enjoy work-
keting maps customer journeys, HR change. This is where the C-suite Workplace automation means those in ing at your company, from the on-site
should have a similar strategy to opti- have a role to play in helping to steer “human” jobs will become highly prized cafeteria to the dog-friendly policy,
mise the candidate journey to attract and align the vision to drive trans- employees, so companies need strate- and help them understand what the
and retain them. The functions are formation from the inside out and gies to motivate and engage this talent. job really is. It’s about triggering a
particularly similar when it comes to top-down. A recent survey of more than 3,500 reaction based on sharing genuine
the “top of the sales funnel” concept “The difference between HR and workers by the Workhuman® Analytics insights into company culture.”
of raising brand awareness to draw marketing is that human resources & Research Institute (WARI) found that While developing an employer brand
both talent and client interest. isn’t as upfront in asking for what employees who have a sense of meaning is important, it is essential that it truly
“In many ways at the brand aware- they need, whereas marketers are and purpose are more than four times represents the company. If the culture
ness phase, HR and marketing depart- used to asking for budget or vali- as likely to love their jobs. Respondents of the company doesn’t reflect what
ments behave in the same way,” he dating additional support,” says Mr ranked meaningful work as the biggest the employer brand communicates to
says. “For instance, PR-related activi- Bonnici. “Don’t be afraid to ask the factor influencing their career choices, the world, people will feel duped and
ties, like media coverage and awards, CEO, like we did, to tear down a big above compensation and perks. soon move on. Improving company cul-
amplify positive public conversations hole in the middle of your building, If the future of work is human, it is ture and developing values starts from
and really serve a dual marketing and if it means you can create a brilliant, crucial that organisations appeal to the top, but should not end there.
HR function, attracting talent just as campus-style space where your peo- people’s emotional connection to both “A lot of people say they’re going
much as they attract new clients.” ple and your customers love to collab- their job and their employer’s values. to have a good culture and here are
At grassroots level, the main dif- orate and be genuinely proud of being Workers are twice as likely to recom- our core values, mission and pur-
ference between HR and market- part of your brand.” mend a company to a friend if they pose, and expect that culture to just
ing has been that human resources think it has meaning and purpose, and appear,” says Mr Beckett. “The real-
S TR ATEGY focuses more on engaging with inter- three times as likely when their personal ity is you can’t dictate your culture
nal audiences, while the marketing WHAT HR CAN LEARN values align with company values. in a company. You can set its tone

Future HR leaders need

team works with external audiences. FROM MARKETING FOR THE To attract highly skilled employ- from the top, but then you have to
But experts agree both function with RECRUITMENT “FUNNEL” ees, whose values match corporate unlock the power of people to live it.
a shared goal of clearly and consist- values, companies must have a strong Acknowledging people who represent
ently communicating the vision, mis- employer brand. According to research those core values is the way to ensure

to think like marketers

sion and values of the organisation. EMPLOYER BRANDING from LinkedIn, four out of five talent company culture reflects the com-
“Marketing is great at wrapping up acquisition managers believe that pany mission.” Recognition should be emphasised feedback more social and crowd-
ideas like value propositions into eas- employer branding has a significant Organisations can’t manufac- as a key initiative, rather than just sourced, with the right supervision,”
Company branding and messaging
ily digestible packages, simplifying impact on the ability to hire great ture a culture, but they can facili- deployed as a trivial afterthought. This says Mr Beckett. “Only once those
can be used to attract candidates
them so they become real assets for
nurturing and maintaining a happy,
and communicate to them what
makes the organisation special
talent. It allows companies to commu-
nicate their culture and values through
tate one by placing recognition at
its heart. Through recognising those
requires executive support. People
have to feel there is support from the
You can’t dictate your foundations are in place do we run
the technology, enabling colleagues to
Having human resources embrace the clients and employees are provided productive and committed work- storytelling to prospective employees. who exhibit the values that have been top and that it’s for the whole work- company culture and then communicate, express gratitude and
“Storytelling means telling candidates defined, companies can engrain their force, peers and management alike. tell their stories by posting comments
expect it to just appear.
with an experience that enables force,” says Kelly Batelle, GumGum’s
methods of the marketing department them to thrive. vice president of people operations. BUILDING A TALENT PIPELINE about your company’s monthly green purpose into the life of the business Inclusivity is the key to a great culture. and even pictures and videos.

can help attract top talent, improve

“Employees increasingly expect “Distilling these key business ideas, challenge, whether that’s to cycle to in a positive way. Showing what “good” Putting a name to the initiative is You’ve got to unlock the power “Once the programme goes live,
the experience they have inside their so everyone within the organisation work or use only refillable water bot- looks like through praise allows them also important. US airline JetBlue, we constantly monitor the data. Our
The various channels, from job
of people to live it through
retention and even grow the business company to reflect the consumer embraces them, means HR needs to sites to social media, through tles, rather than just saying it values to celebrate the best of their culture for example, has a crew member rec- data scientists have deep mathe-
experience they have in their every- think and operate like marketers or, which a candidate enters the
recruitment process
sustainability,” says Grant Beckett, vice within the subtle day-to-day interac- ognition programme called Lift and recognition and reinforcement matical regression analysis in their
day lives,” says Sage’s chief people better yet, work in collaboration with president of global product strategy at tions between their people. employees embrace this language in background and we partner with our
officer Amanda Cusdin. “By making marketing.” their interactions, “lifting” each other clients to understand what the pro-
Sage a great place to work, where our For Ryan Bonnici, G2’s chief market- through public praise and gratitude. It gramme is achieving for metrics like
Azadeh Williams CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE
people can bring their whole selves ing officer, unpacking and simplify- becomes part of the core fabric of the retention, employee engagement,
and do their best work in an inclu- ing the company’s values has formed company and over time feels organic for organisations on a global basis. The safety and billing rates. For any busi-
he disruptive age of cus- Just as marketers use data, insights sive culture, we will have happy col- a critical part of how HR and market- and authentic. Across diverse indus- company’s technology, consultancy ness metric of importance to a par-

87% 90%
Just as important as customer ex-
T tomer centricity means the and net promoter scores to under- leagues who also deliver the best ing work together, not only to attract perience, how a candidate interacts
with the organisation throughout
tries, big global brands such as Cisco, and industry insights help foster posi- ticular company, we can analyse how
pressure is on businesses stand their customers, build loyalty experience for our customers.” great talent within his team, but also LinkedIn, and Procter & Gamble are tive working cultures that are based on the recognition and culture created
to be agile and take a more holistic and optimise the customer experi- For a global corporate brand such to help the business grow in exciting the application process is key investing in recognition initiatives. gratitude, inclusion and fairness, key through it results in hard ROI.”
view of both their employee and cus- ence, HR can use similar tools and as Adobe, the partnership between new directions. Having started with “You also have to invest in it,” says attributes when building an attractive When people feel invested in their
tomer experience. Traditional, siloed methodologies to uncover employee HR and marketing isn’t new, with the a team of five marketers in 2017, Mr Mr Beckett. “Programmes that just employer brand. company and feel their company is
CANDIDATE SELECTION
ways of working in HR and market- satisfaction trends or issues. two functions working together like Bonnici now works with around 65 in amount to a pat on the back die out There is a powerful emotional psy- invested in them, they become its best
ing working are no longer relevant, as For Sage, the largest technology a well-oiled machine. The company his department alone, and growing. of UK employees would would recommend their over time because recognition givers chology behind recognition and recruiters and ambassadors. Most
fresh opportunities emerge to collab- company in the FTSE 100, which actively fosters a culture where HR The change started with rethinking Using tools and methods borrowed recommend their company company if personal values get tired of high fives or ‘likes’. There appreciation. Workhuman helps importantly, the human connections
orate and attract the best talent, while recruits more than 13,000 employ- and marketing work together to com- the company’s key values. from marketing, HR can gain to a friend if their job has match the company has to be substance behind it, such as C-suite and HR leaders tap into that made through recognition moments
fostering an inclusive culture that ees worldwide, HR and marketing municate any promotional activities “When I joined the organisation, insights into potential hires in order meaning or purpose values/mission calibrating recognition moments with psychology to rethink how traditional provide invaluable content to reflect
to find the best possible fit
drives greater brand advocacy. working together is an integral part and achievements internally, and the values were long, complicated points that can be cashed in for real recognition programmes work. Its in the employer brand, forming the
The success behind HR and mar- of cross-functional best practice. inspire their people to be great advo- and nobody remembered them,” he rewards, like a trip for your family. consulting group helps them to struc- basis of the company’s vital pub-

2 out of 3
keting working together stems from This approach is critical for ensur- cates for the company. explains. “It was hard to find the ‘clear “As research by SHRM/Workhuman ture and brand a programme in the lic-facing identity.
REPORTING AND DATA ANALYSIS
a mutual understanding that cus- ing a high-performing and scala- “The most important thing for us compass’ to guide us collectively. So employees who have shows, companies that invest one per most effective way, then deliver strong
tomer experience and employee expe- ble approach to both customer and is ensuring the way our brand is pro- we created a new simple acronym, worked at their company cent or more of payroll in rewards and return on investment (ROI).
rience go hand in hand. Those who employee success. moted externally matches the expe- PEAK, which stands for performance, Once the hire is complete, it is for one to eight years would recognition are nearly three times as “We spend a lot of time thinking For more information please visit
are getting it right know what it takes By applying the strategic lenses of rience we deliver to our people every entrepreneurial spirit, authenticity important to feed back reports and leave their current company likely to rate their programme as excel- about the name of the programme www.workhuman.com
data to all stages of the “funnel” for a company with a more
to form a natural bond and create an customer success and colleague suc- day,” says Tania Garrett, Adobe’s sen- and kindness. We’ve found attract- lent, compared to those that don’t.” and how to change traditional thinking
to assess how efficient the candi- positive, human culture
employee engagement programme cess, Sage’s HR and marketing teams ior director of employee experience, ing candidates who embody these date-to-hire conversion is and to Workhuman facilitates human con- about feedback as being only a respon-
with the same level of care as cli- are encouraged to share best prac- Europe, Middle East and Africa. “It’s values are the ones who stay with us keep improving WARI Survey Report nections with innovative technology sibility of managers. We teach them
ent-facing initiatives. tice when it comes to ensuring both a big part of what attracts customers and become great employees. It now that supports recognition moments about trusting their workforce, making
10 FUTURE OF HR RACONTEUR.NET 11

THE EVOLVING WHAT IS THE CHRO’S POSITION IN THE BUSINESS?

CHRO
CHRO s ARE THE CLOSEST CONFIDANTS TO CEO s CHRO s TEND TO REPORT DIRECTLY TO CEO s
Score out of five, where one is “not a confidant” and five is “closest confidant” What is the ultimate reporting line of HR within your organisation?

CHRO 4.1

Chief analytics officer 06%

Chief financial officer 3.9

President/chief operating officer 3.7

The role of the CHRO is changing. As the remit of HR
leaders expands beyond recruitment and employee
engagement, to digital transformation, driving Chief legal counsel 3.5

productivity, and more, their position is no longer Chief executive Officer 68%

one which can be overlooked. With a seat on the Chief marketing officer 2.6
board and the CEO’s ear, the CHRO is becoming an
increasingly vital member of the C-suite, one who
2.2
will need a diverse set of skills for business to thrive Chief information officer

Center for Executive Succession 2018 Leathwaite 2019

WHO IS THE CHRO? Chief financial officer 01%

AVERAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF CHRO s DO YOU FEEL HR IS APPROPRIATELY VALUED WITHIN YOUR ORGANISATION?
Analysis of CHROs in the Fortune 200

44%
Chief operating officer 16%

54
Of those who do feel HR is valued...
Yes

The average age of a CHRO in

No 46%
Unsure 11%
76%
report into
86%
feel deliverables
General counsel 01%

the Fortune 200

the CEO are understood
Others 08%

10×
Leathwaite 2019

HOW IS THE CHRO’S ROLE EVOLVING?

A CHRO is nearly 10
times (9.63 times) as
likely to be female than CHRO s ARE BECOMING MORE STRATEGIC CHRO’S ROLES ARE CHANGING AS THEY BECOME MORE INVOLVED WITH ORGANISATIONAL STRATEGY
a CEO is Service Now 2018 How CHROs see their core role today, compared with three years ago Service Now 2018

Three years ago This year

<5
“My role has grown more strategic “My role will become more strategic
over the past three years” over the next three years”

11%
32%

31%
31%

20%

14%
30%

8%
22%

25%
25%

3%

8%
8%

10%
8%

18%
7%

21%
7%

5%
4%

27%
4%

8%
3%
Digitise the life cycle of the employee experience
11% Disagree 10% Disagree

Make HR workflows more digital and efficient

The average tenure for a

Digitise parts of the employee experience

Focus on creating an amazing experience
Fortune 200 CHRO is less 14% Neither 15% Neither

Contribute to corporate performance

Contribute to organisational strategy
than five years

throughout the employee life cycle

80%

Deliver training and education

75% Agree 75% Agree

Onboard employees
Deliver HR services
Drive productivity

Attract top talent

Retain top talent

Team building
The percentage of
Fortune 200 CHROs that
have had more than five
The Talent Strategy Group 2018 years of HR experience
10 FUTURE OF HR RACONTEUR.NET 11

THE EVOLVING WHAT IS THE CHRO’S POSITION IN THE BUSINESS?

CHRO
CHRO s ARE THE CLOSEST CONFIDANTS TO CEO s CHRO s TEND TO REPORT DIRECTLY TO CEO s
Score out of five, where one is “not a confidant” and five is “closest confidant” What is the ultimate reporting line of HR within your organisation?

CHRO 4.1

Chief analytics officer 06%

Chief financial officer 3.9

President/chief operating officer 3.7

The role of the CHRO is changing. As the remit of HR
leaders expands beyond recruitment and employee
engagement, to digital transformation, driving Chief legal counsel 3.5

productivity, and more, their position is no longer Chief executive Officer 68%

one which can be overlooked. With a seat on the Chief marketing officer 2.6
board and the CEO’s ear, the CHRO is becoming an
increasingly vital member of the C-suite, one who
2.2
will need a diverse set of skills for business to thrive Chief information officer

Center for Executive Succession 2018 Leathwaite 2019

WHO IS THE CHRO? Chief financial officer 01%

AVERAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF CHRO s DO YOU FEEL HR IS APPROPRIATELY VALUED WITHIN YOUR ORGANISATION?
Analysis of CHROs in the Fortune 200

44%
Chief operating officer 16%

54
Of those who do feel HR is valued...
Yes

The average age of a CHRO in

No 46%
Unsure 11%
76%
report into
86%
feel deliverables
General counsel 01%

the Fortune 200

the CEO are understood
Others 08%

10×
Leathwaite 2019

HOW IS THE CHRO’S ROLE EVOLVING?

A CHRO is nearly 10
times (9.63 times) as
likely to be female than CHRO s ARE BECOMING MORE STRATEGIC CHRO’S ROLES ARE CHANGING AS THEY BECOME MORE INVOLVED WITH ORGANISATIONAL STRATEGY
a CEO is Service Now 2018 How CHROs see their core role today, compared with three years ago Service Now 2018

Three years ago This year

<5
“My role has grown more strategic “My role will become more strategic
over the past three years” over the next three years”

11%
32%

31%
31%

20%

14%
30%

8%
22%

25%
25%

3%

8%
8%

10%
8%

18%
7%

21%
7%

5%
4%

27%
4%

8%
3%
Digitise the life cycle of the employee experience
11% Disagree 10% Disagree

Make HR workflows more digital and efficient

The average tenure for a

Digitise parts of the employee experience

Focus on creating an amazing experience
Fortune 200 CHRO is less 14% Neither 15% Neither

Contribute to corporate performance

Contribute to organisational strategy
than five years

throughout the employee life cycle

80%

Deliver training and education

75% Agree 75% Agree

Onboard employees
Deliver HR services
Drive productivity

Attract top talent

Retain top talent

Team building
The percentage of
Fortune 200 CHROs that
have had more than five
The Talent Strategy Group 2018 years of HR experience
12 FUTURE OF HR RACONTEUR.NET 13
Commercial feature
often via promotion and advance- OPINION
ment,” says Lindsay Bridges, senior

Jack Anstey / Unsplash

Talent selection needs
vice president of HR at DHL Supply
Chain UK and Ireland. “We’ve used

‘Over the next decade,

this data to create bespoke employee
journeys, tailored to specific groups

a dose of innovation
of individuals.”

people experience and

But there are risks attached to
employee journey mapping. “If you
get it wrong, you may put the wrong

work revolution will

for hiring challenges
person in charge of people,” says
John McLaughlin, head of enter-
prise solutions at Aon’s Assessment
Solutions. “In hierarchical, straight-
line career path structures, this is
common. In digital organisations,
become a way of life’
increasingly, there is a ‘Y’ shape,
where people can progress either
When it comes to the future of HR, it is time to see the unseen
into some type of technical manage- hen I first entered the lack of alignment between HR prior-
rial role or a role with people man- W human resources tech ities and business priorities, which
agement responsibilities.” world in 2011, I discovered are critical drivers to overcoming mid fluctuating current trends
It’s also possible to misjudge the previous decade had been about those challenges. A and prospective forecasts,
what’s important for the employee designing HR for HR. Overcoming these fundamental, businesses need to go beyond
base as a whole. “Fail to map the This last decade, many profes- yet foundational, challenges will quick-fix tools and instead look to instil a
right paths for your employees sionals have worked hard to build allow HR to march into the next dec- cultural DNA that negates the uncertain.
and morale will sink,” warns Mark a function for both employee and ade with real immediacy and excite- “You can’t wait for the future to
Williams, vice president of prod- business. Analytics, culture, wellbe- ment as the work revolution gains show itself, you need to see it now,”
uct at People First. “You can end up ing and engagement have all wres- momentum. It will enable us to says Charles Hipps, chief executive
like US online soft furnishings com- tled for their place. embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and founder of Oleeo, a diverse team
pany Wayfair where the employees Over the next decade of predicted and its roots in performance, organ- of technology and talent acquisition
walked out over their employer’s exponential change, people expe- isational design and psychology. In professionals, who have come together
sales to migrant detention centres, rience and work revolution will addition to this trend, there is an to guide organisations towards and
JOURNEY MAPPING
which they didn’t agree with. There become a way of life. I believe HR explosion in micro-learning. A war through this cultural transformation
was a mismatch in values which will discover its defining discourse for skills, both soft and technical. when it comes to hiring.

Why employee journey

nobody at the top foresaw.” lies in the areas of learning, perfor- We are seeing a radical change in “Talent shortfalls, diversity chal-
Commitment to employee jour- mance and productivity. employee expectations and experi- lenges, the growing demands of your
ney mapping from senior leaders is Since 2011, productivity has con- ence across all demographics. business and competitors fighting for
essential, says Sharon Benson, HR tinued to lag. Why? Because across In five years, robots and machines every advantage is everyone’s reality at

mapping matters
director at online retailer Studio. the world, employees are over- will displace or transform 75 million present. And while some say tools like
co.uk, which is currently looking at whelmed, unable to cope with the jobs, algorithms will create 133 mil- artificial intelligence (AI) are the only AI capabilities, creating superhumans
creating a mapping strategy. “The explosion in information. We must lion new roles, 42 per cent of com- solution to keep up with these chal- capable of finding the best talent, fast,”
employee journey is an outcome of recognise, in an era promoting panies believe AI will be deployed lenges, we think they’re only part of it.” Mr Hipps explains. “And our Intelligent
HR directors working closely with
C-suite colleagues in firstly shaping
work-life balance, we are working
harder than ever on our top prob-
inside their businesses, and only 15
per cent of companies have plans to
Oleeo boasts more than 20 years’
experience in recruitment technology,
Selection tool can help you do that by
realising the future, now.”
A smoother talent
the target culture, defining the inter- lems as people. Firstly, managing deal with that change. overseeing many of the shifts and trends Oleeo can cite 40 per cent increases acquisition process
nal and external brand, and identify- the now and, secondly, trying to find Surprisingly, it is just over 12 years that now dictate industry. The company for clients looking to increase the
will deliver positive
It may sound like the latest human about how the employee experi-
ence is ‘lived and felt’ by individ-
New technology can help employ-
ers and line managers capture expe-
ing the core foundations of what suc-
cess looks like within each function
a sense of purpose from our work.
Despite resources spent,
ago since I wrote my first blog post
on appraisals, Another Ten Years of
has consequently witnessed the rise of
many concerning statistics, chief among
number of applications and hires by
using its Intelligent Selection tool. results on your
resources buzzword, but employee ual employees at various junctures riences and ensure any potential and respective role,” she says. “Only employee engagement has only the Annual Performance Appraisal? them that small and medium-sized “It’s simple really; why employ the
bottom line
of their employment experiences,” issues are identified early on. “With through this approach can you gen- increased by 2 to 3 per cent, 70 per A single version of the truth is a enterprises are wasting more than same when you can employ better?” he
journey mapping has the potential to says Sharon Looney, chief human so much data on productivity now uinely start considering the end-to- cent of all workers don’t like their great debate once a year, but not £125,000 a year on failed recruitment. adds. “When you want to employ better
resources officer at CoreHR. available, combined with regular end employee experience, based on jobs and it’s been estimated that achievable or desirable in today’s “Successful recruitment lies in bring- people than you did yesterday, you need
drive real change for businesses Effectively mapping employ-
02
engagement surveys and informa- the multiple levels of engagement actively disengaged employees world; that once-a-year annual per- ing together human experience and to employ better ways to recruit now. It’s This requires an inherent trust in the
ees requires HR and line manag- tion gathered via apps and other and genuine feedback.” cost the United States $500 bil- formance review “because this is time to reset existing behaviours, shed power of AI, which merges improved
ers to take the time to talk to staff. technology, businesses can quickly lion to $600 billion each year in what we do”. The refusal by many unnecessary burden, and arm yourself quality and efficiency “faster”. Instant
Nick Martindale
and your team with the tools required to identification is the third strand

£125k
“The biggest problem is nervous- see which stage of a journey is failing lost productivity. Some company’s firms to use an HR tech solution that
ness around asking employees for which employees, so that they can employee engagement scores are as enables continuous feedback and outperform the competition.” emphasised by Oleeo, but to pin-
R is constantly evolving, “Organisations are currently over- thoughts and feedback; sometimes address these straightaway,” says high as 90 per cent disengaged. better engages the workforce sug- point star ratings manually for every
H Nearly

80%
and so too are the tools looking the wide variety of every- business owners and managers are JourneyHR’s Ms Vigor-Robertson. In my view, what is needed to over- gests the work revolution is only get- Bigger, better, faster, further hiring touchpoint is impossible. And
and techniques at its dis- day human interactions and events, afraid to find out what their people There are already examples of come this disengagement disease is ting started. Through the power of Intelligent in a climate where talent won’t wait
posal. Employee journey map- trials and triumphs, adventures and really think,” says Nicola Gater, con- where talking to employees about a focus by HR on maximising value As we enter the 2020s, HR leaders wasted on average by SMEs a Selection, Oleeo enables companies to for manual processes to catch up, it’s
ping is one of the latest to have an misadventures that define life at sultant at Reality HR. “But taking what they want out of their work has across the business from strategy, who aim to blaze a trail and disrupt year on failed recruitment break the source of talent wide open. imperative organisations adopt AI to

24%
impact, offering the prospect of work,” says Robert Ordever, manag- a head-in-the-sand approach only led organisations to act. Consumer people experience to engagement. need to step back and look at the This enables clients to attract, engage beat competitors to the punch.
employees taking a greater degree ing director of workplace culture firm stores up problems for later.” review website Trustpilot devel- This will allow for stronger profit- bigger picture. What does owner- and hire more skilled and diverse “A cultural shift in HR that embraces
of control over their experience in a O.C. Tanner Europe. “These every- Part of this means being willing oped its Trustpilot Women In ability, performance, culture, and ship of employee engagement look teams in a bigger, better, faster and digitisation gives you the power to see
company, with the hope of creating day ‘micro-experiences’ create the to listen to any input, even if this is Leadership initiative, designed to of executives rate engagement; versus our current like in your organisation? Ask your- more expansive way than ever before. beyond the horizon or the final param-
more engaged and productive staff, real employee experience. But rather not as expected. “You may find that help develop women in the technol- employee experience trap of enforcing rigid single-dose, self, your team, your employees, and “‘Bigger’ entails the power to explore eter of ‘further’,” Mr Hipps concludes.
who will remain with the business than empathise with these, many what employees want is not what ogy space, which originated in its very important one-size-fits-all processes for especially your managers and lead- worry about having to keep the unknown,” says Mr Hipps. “Talent “Smart recruitment can improve
for longer. organisations operate as though they you had planned,” says Liz Sebag- New York office. or important expediency. ers? Do you own the elements that up with the manual workload is not missing; it’s out there waiting organisational performance by as much
“In simple terms, employee jour- don’t even exist.” Montefiore, director of employee “The group has also started to Technology has brought us closer lead to increased engagement? involved in hiring decisions for you. To discover diverse talent, as two thirds. It’s therefore imperative
you need to explore diverse sources to shape the future by learning from

47%
ney mapping is understanding O.C. Tanner’s own research found engagement firm 10Eighty. “If you undertake a series of philanthropic together, but our working world has The best way to create the future is
the experience an employee goes that 92 per cent of employees don’t focus on what they want and events and activities,” says Donna become much, much bigger. to predict it. and unleash the potential they hold. real-time insights that enable continu-
through, from their very first con- describe their employee experience need, there’s no point pretending Murray Vilhelmsen, Trustpilot’s Recently, I caught up with some Venturing into new sources with AI ous improvement in efficiency, compli-
But only

22%
tact with a company all the way as their “everyday” experience, while that HR can really make a difference chief HR officer. “It’s something successful enterprise leaders about can help realise significant time and ance and effectiveness.
through to their last day in the 66 per cent feel the employee expe- to engagement.” which has come very organically their experience with HR. One cost-savings by processing vastly more “Ultimately, a smoother talent
office,” says Aliya Vigor-Robertson, rience matters at their organisation. from a group of individuals, and of the overarching experiences feel that the competition for the applications, yet only recommending acquisition process will deliver posi-
co-founder of JourneyHR. “By put- These individual experiences are we’re encouraging and supporting when discussing business perfor- best applicants is more fierce the best-fit candidates with diversity in tive results on your bottom line, while
ting themselves in an employee’s something that CoreHR has made them to do more and take the oppor- mance and profitability is that the than it has ever been mind and bias eliminated. talent quality will deliver positive
shoes, HR teams can identify ways a key part of its employee map- tunity into other offices globally.” HR function puts processes before “And ‘better’ empowers compa- results on your top line from day one

41%
to improve the company culture, ping process, particularly through DHL, meanwhile, has used value. When a people process is set, nies to mitigate the ‘what you see and beyond.”
enhance the employee experience its 30:30 discussions, where every employee insight to transform its say their companies it becomes “law” and a standard- isn’t always what you get’ conundrum.
and build their employer brand.” employee is entitled to a minimum processes around both recruitment were excellent ised approach ensues. Intelligent Selection can crunch thou-
An important element of employee of a 30-minute chat every 30 days
Understanding what an employee and career management, helping to at building a The second major business chal-
say it would speed up their
sands of datapoints already used in Learn more about Oleeo at oleeo.com
journey mapping is that it is the with their manager to discuss mat- improve the way it conducts these differentiated lenge for organisations this year is hiring activities and utilise the strong-
employee who is in charge, rather ters that are important to them. goes through, from their very first for future recruits as well as exist- employee experience increasing agility, and the most con- time to hire when asked how est predictors of success, to ensure
Marc Coleman automated decision-making improved hire quality, better conver-
than it being a top-down initiative,
with a particular emphasis on what
“It’s now regarded less as a list
of ‘moments in time’ along the
contact all the way through to ing staff. “Our datapoints show
that those who have clearly defined
siderable problem, from UNLEASH
Insights, is improving performance Chief executive would help them sion rates and increased performance
matters to them. employee life cycle and more their last day in the office career paths stay with us longer, Deloitte 2017 and profitability. There is an evident unleashgroup.io Oleeo for business longevity.”
12 FUTURE OF HR RACONTEUR.NET 13
Commercial feature
often via promotion and advance- OPINION
ment,” says Lindsay Bridges, senior

Jack Anstey / Unsplash

Talent selection needs
vice president of HR at DHL Supply
Chain UK and Ireland. “We’ve used

‘Over the next decade,

this data to create bespoke employee
journeys, tailored to specific groups

a dose of innovation
of individuals.”

people experience and

But there are risks attached to
employee journey mapping. “If you
get it wrong, you may put the wrong

work revolution will

for hiring challenges
person in charge of people,” says
John McLaughlin, head of enter-
prise solutions at Aon’s Assessment
Solutions. “In hierarchical, straight-
line career path structures, this is
common. In digital organisations,
become a way of life’
increasingly, there is a ‘Y’ shape,
where people can progress either
When it comes to the future of HR, it is time to see the unseen
into some type of technical manage- hen I first entered the lack of alignment between HR prior-
rial role or a role with people man- W human resources tech ities and business priorities, which
agement responsibilities.” world in 2011, I discovered are critical drivers to overcoming mid fluctuating current trends
It’s also possible to misjudge the previous decade had been about those challenges. A and prospective forecasts,
what’s important for the employee designing HR for HR. Overcoming these fundamental, businesses need to go beyond
base as a whole. “Fail to map the This last decade, many profes- yet foundational, challenges will quick-fix tools and instead look to instil a
right paths for your employees sionals have worked hard to build allow HR to march into the next dec- cultural DNA that negates the uncertain.
and morale will sink,” warns Mark a function for both employee and ade with real immediacy and excite- “You can’t wait for the future to
Williams, vice president of prod- business. Analytics, culture, wellbe- ment as the work revolution gains show itself, you need to see it now,”
uct at People First. “You can end up ing and engagement have all wres- momentum. It will enable us to says Charles Hipps, chief executive
like US online soft furnishings com- tled for their place. embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and founder of Oleeo, a diverse team
pany Wayfair where the employees Over the next decade of predicted and its roots in performance, organ- of technology and talent acquisition
walked out over their employer’s exponential change, people expe- isational design and psychology. In professionals, who have come together
sales to migrant detention centres, rience and work revolution will addition to this trend, there is an to guide organisations towards and
JOURNEY MAPPING
which they didn’t agree with. There become a way of life. I believe HR explosion in micro-learning. A war through this cultural transformation
was a mismatch in values which will discover its defining discourse for skills, both soft and technical. when it comes to hiring.

Why employee journey

nobody at the top foresaw.” lies in the areas of learning, perfor- We are seeing a radical change in “Talent shortfalls, diversity chal-
Commitment to employee jour- mance and productivity. employee expectations and experi- lenges, the growing demands of your
ney mapping from senior leaders is Since 2011, productivity has con- ence across all demographics. business and competitors fighting for
essential, says Sharon Benson, HR tinued to lag. Why? Because across In five years, robots and machines every advantage is everyone’s reality at

mapping matters
director at online retailer Studio. the world, employees are over- will displace or transform 75 million present. And while some say tools like
co.uk, which is currently looking at whelmed, unable to cope with the jobs, algorithms will create 133 mil- artificial intelligence (AI) are the only AI capabilities, creating superhumans
creating a mapping strategy. “The explosion in information. We must lion new roles, 42 per cent of com- solution to keep up with these chal- capable of finding the best talent, fast,”
employee journey is an outcome of recognise, in an era promoting panies believe AI will be deployed lenges, we think they’re only part of it.” Mr Hipps explains. “And our Intelligent
HR directors working closely with
C-suite colleagues in firstly shaping
work-life balance, we are working
harder than ever on our top prob-
inside their businesses, and only 15
per cent of companies have plans to
Oleeo boasts more than 20 years’
experience in recruitment technology,
Selection tool can help you do that by
realising the future, now.”
A smoother talent
the target culture, defining the inter- lems as people. Firstly, managing deal with that change. overseeing many of the shifts and trends Oleeo can cite 40 per cent increases acquisition process
nal and external brand, and identify- the now and, secondly, trying to find Surprisingly, it is just over 12 years that now dictate industry. The company for clients looking to increase the
will deliver positive
It may sound like the latest human about how the employee experi-
ence is ‘lived and felt’ by individ-
New technology can help employ-
ers and line managers capture expe-
ing the core foundations of what suc-
cess looks like within each function
a sense of purpose from our work.
Despite resources spent,
ago since I wrote my first blog post
on appraisals, Another Ten Years of
has consequently witnessed the rise of
many concerning statistics, chief among
number of applications and hires by
using its Intelligent Selection tool. results on your
resources buzzword, but employee ual employees at various junctures riences and ensure any potential and respective role,” she says. “Only employee engagement has only the Annual Performance Appraisal? them that small and medium-sized “It’s simple really; why employ the
bottom line
of their employment experiences,” issues are identified early on. “With through this approach can you gen- increased by 2 to 3 per cent, 70 per A single version of the truth is a enterprises are wasting more than same when you can employ better?” he
journey mapping has the potential to says Sharon Looney, chief human so much data on productivity now uinely start considering the end-to- cent of all workers don’t like their great debate once a year, but not £125,000 a year on failed recruitment. adds. “When you want to employ better
resources officer at CoreHR. available, combined with regular end employee experience, based on jobs and it’s been estimated that achievable or desirable in today’s “Successful recruitment lies in bring- people than you did yesterday, you need
drive real change for businesses Effectively mapping employ-
02
engagement surveys and informa- the multiple levels of engagement actively disengaged employees world; that once-a-year annual per- ing together human experience and to employ better ways to recruit now. It’s This requires an inherent trust in the
ees requires HR and line manag- tion gathered via apps and other and genuine feedback.” cost the United States $500 bil- formance review “because this is time to reset existing behaviours, shed power of AI, which merges improved
ers to take the time to talk to staff. technology, businesses can quickly lion to $600 billion each year in what we do”. The refusal by many unnecessary burden, and arm yourself quality and efficiency “faster”. Instant
Nick Martindale
and your team with the tools required to identification is the third strand

£125k
“The biggest problem is nervous- see which stage of a journey is failing lost productivity. Some company’s firms to use an HR tech solution that
ness around asking employees for which employees, so that they can employee engagement scores are as enables continuous feedback and outperform the competition.” emphasised by Oleeo, but to pin-
R is constantly evolving, “Organisations are currently over- thoughts and feedback; sometimes address these straightaway,” says high as 90 per cent disengaged. better engages the workforce sug- point star ratings manually for every
H Nearly

80%
and so too are the tools looking the wide variety of every- business owners and managers are JourneyHR’s Ms Vigor-Robertson. In my view, what is needed to over- gests the work revolution is only get- Bigger, better, faster, further hiring touchpoint is impossible. And
and techniques at its dis- day human interactions and events, afraid to find out what their people There are already examples of come this disengagement disease is ting started. Through the power of Intelligent in a climate where talent won’t wait
posal. Employee journey map- trials and triumphs, adventures and really think,” says Nicola Gater, con- where talking to employees about a focus by HR on maximising value As we enter the 2020s, HR leaders wasted on average by SMEs a Selection, Oleeo enables companies to for manual processes to catch up, it’s
ping is one of the latest to have an misadventures that define life at sultant at Reality HR. “But taking what they want out of their work has across the business from strategy, who aim to blaze a trail and disrupt year on failed recruitment break the source of talent wide open. imperative organisations adopt AI to

24%
impact, offering the prospect of work,” says Robert Ordever, manag- a head-in-the-sand approach only led organisations to act. Consumer people experience to engagement. need to step back and look at the This enables clients to attract, engage beat competitors to the punch.
employees taking a greater degree ing director of workplace culture firm stores up problems for later.” review website Trustpilot devel- This will allow for stronger profit- bigger picture. What does owner- and hire more skilled and diverse “A cultural shift in HR that embraces
of control over their experience in a O.C. Tanner Europe. “These every- Part of this means being willing oped its Trustpilot Women In ability, performance, culture, and ship of employee engagement look teams in a bigger, better, faster and digitisation gives you the power to see
company, with the hope of creating day ‘micro-experiences’ create the to listen to any input, even if this is Leadership initiative, designed to of executives rate engagement; versus our current like in your organisation? Ask your- more expansive way than ever before. beyond the horizon or the final param-
more engaged and productive staff, real employee experience. But rather not as expected. “You may find that help develop women in the technol- employee experience trap of enforcing rigid single-dose, self, your team, your employees, and “‘Bigger’ entails the power to explore eter of ‘further’,” Mr Hipps concludes.
who will remain with the business than empathise with these, many what employees want is not what ogy space, which originated in its very important one-size-fits-all processes for especially your managers and lead- worry about having to keep the unknown,” says Mr Hipps. “Talent “Smart recruitment can improve
for longer. organisations operate as though they you had planned,” says Liz Sebag- New York office. or important expediency. ers? Do you own the elements that up with the manual workload is not missing; it’s out there waiting organisational performance by as much
“In simple terms, employee jour- don’t even exist.” Montefiore, director of employee “The group has also started to Technology has brought us closer lead to increased engagement? involved in hiring decisions for you. To discover diverse talent, as two thirds. It’s therefore imperative
you need to explore diverse sources to shape the future by learning from

47%
ney mapping is understanding O.C. Tanner’s own research found engagement firm 10Eighty. “If you undertake a series of philanthropic together, but our working world has The best way to create the future is
the experience an employee goes that 92 per cent of employees don’t focus on what they want and events and activities,” says Donna become much, much bigger. to predict it. and unleash the potential they hold. real-time insights that enable continu-
through, from their very first con- describe their employee experience need, there’s no point pretending Murray Vilhelmsen, Trustpilot’s Recently, I caught up with some Venturing into new sources with AI ous improvement in efficiency, compli-
But only

22%
tact with a company all the way as their “everyday” experience, while that HR can really make a difference chief HR officer. “It’s something successful enterprise leaders about can help realise significant time and ance and effectiveness.
through to their last day in the 66 per cent feel the employee expe- to engagement.” which has come very organically their experience with HR. One cost-savings by processing vastly more “Ultimately, a smoother talent
office,” says Aliya Vigor-Robertson, rience matters at their organisation. from a group of individuals, and of the overarching experiences feel that the competition for the applications, yet only recommending acquisition process will deliver posi-
co-founder of JourneyHR. “By put- These individual experiences are we’re encouraging and supporting when discussing business perfor- best applicants is more fierce the best-fit candidates with diversity in tive results on your bottom line, while
ting themselves in an employee’s something that CoreHR has made them to do more and take the oppor- mance and profitability is that the than it has ever been mind and bias eliminated. talent quality will deliver positive
shoes, HR teams can identify ways a key part of its employee map- tunity into other offices globally.” HR function puts processes before “And ‘better’ empowers compa- results on your top line from day one

41%
to improve the company culture, ping process, particularly through DHL, meanwhile, has used value. When a people process is set, nies to mitigate the ‘what you see and beyond.”
enhance the employee experience its 30:30 discussions, where every employee insight to transform its say their companies it becomes “law” and a standard- isn’t always what you get’ conundrum.
and build their employer brand.” employee is entitled to a minimum processes around both recruitment were excellent ised approach ensues. Intelligent Selection can crunch thou-
An important element of employee of a 30-minute chat every 30 days
Understanding what an employee and career management, helping to at building a The second major business chal-
say it would speed up their
sands of datapoints already used in Learn more about Oleeo at oleeo.com
journey mapping is that it is the with their manager to discuss mat- improve the way it conducts these differentiated lenge for organisations this year is hiring activities and utilise the strong-
employee who is in charge, rather ters that are important to them. goes through, from their very first for future recruits as well as exist- employee experience increasing agility, and the most con- time to hire when asked how est predictors of success, to ensure
Marc Coleman automated decision-making improved hire quality, better conver-
than it being a top-down initiative,
with a particular emphasis on what
“It’s now regarded less as a list
of ‘moments in time’ along the
contact all the way through to ing staff. “Our datapoints show
that those who have clearly defined
siderable problem, from UNLEASH
Insights, is improving performance Chief executive would help them sion rates and increased performance
matters to them. employee life cycle and more their last day in the office career paths stay with us longer, Deloitte 2017 and profitability. There is an evident unleashgroup.io Oleeo for business longevity.”
14 FUTURE OF HR RACONTEUR.NET 15
Commercial feature
traditional approach to building a
workforce by hiring younger workers Five key steps to becoming
is no longer sustainable because the
OLDE R GE NE R ATIONS age-friendly employers
numbers are simply not there.

EU posted worker legislation needs Firms need

By contrast, people are working
into their 60s and 70s, retraining
and starting new careers in mid-life 01 Offer more kinds of
flexible working and 04 Provide opportunities
for all employees to
and even coming out of retirement. help people know their options develop their careers, and

technology to protect brands to get better

Yet even though companies are hir- plan for the future at mid-life
ing more older workers, they remain
an underexploited asset. Raising UK 02 Actively target
candidates of all
and beyond

employment rates for 55 to 64 year ages and cut out age bias in
05 Equip HR professionals

with age
olds to similar levels as Sweden or recruitment processes and managers to
New Zealand would increase the UK promote an age-positive culture,
Dealing with job postings in Europe does not have to be a headache workforce by more than 3 per cent or
03 Ensure everyone has the and support interaction across
one million people. health support they need all ages
The challenge for employers is to
attract the skills and talent they

he number of employees being For example, maximum fines per

New workforce demographics may pose need, and to create a workforce cul-
ture that supports people of all ages. “A key hurdle is dispelling myths competitiveness. The reality is that
T sent to work abroad within worker can range from €1,165 in Malta human resources challenges, but savvy But too few organisations, and changing mindsets,” says Andy until workplace culture accepts
Europe is growing steadily, to €10,000 in Austria and Finland. whether in the public or private sec- Briggs, former chief executive of UK that change is needed to welcome
mirroring global trends. According to the Whereas being named and shamed as organisations should see older workers tors, have fully embraced the impli- insurance at Aviva, who champions employees of all ages, firms are
latest figures available, in 2017 alone, 2.8 an organisation that is breaching rules cations of this profound demo- the recruitment of older workers. going to struggle through skills
million workers were posted from one around posted workers can be hugely as an opportunity graphic change. Many are not in a “At Aviva, we provided training for shortages, poor retention rates
European Union country to another, an damaging to corporate reputations. position to take advantage of the line managers on the importance of and lack of employee engagement.
increase of 83 per cent on 2010. To complicate things further, com- opportunities this change presents, having career conversations with The key to a prosperous corporate
To ensure a level playing field for panies should complete posted worker nor are they prepared to mitigate people of all ages, as well as sharing future is investing in workers with
employees and protect their rights registrations in advance of the employee the possible impact on their busi- statistics to challenge the assump- a past.
when being sent abroad, the EU entering their posting country. Collecting ness models. tion that older workers are less pro-
Martin Barrow
has been enhancing its rules and all the necessary application information Recruitment and HR processes ductive or engaged.”
enforcement around the posting of can be time consuming and potentially generally are still geared towards The new workforce dynamics PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN
workers since the regulations were delay the posting process. Often the reg- ritain is getting older There are more people approach- hiring younger workers and promot- require companies to hire and NUMBER OF WORKERS
established in 1996. istration data needs to be provided by a B and so is its workforce. ing retirement than there are at the ing them as they gain experience train older workers, particularly BY AGE GROUP
The latest directive on posted work- range of different sources, such as pay Companies are hiring beginning of their working lives through knowledge and training. for technology-based employment.
ers has to be transposed into national slips from payroll, contracts from human older workers so there are now more and skills shortages are becoming Too often, hiring older workers is This challenges conventional
law by July 30, 2020 and as each resources and posting details from the than ten million people aged over acute in many sectors of business. seen as a last resort if younger peo- thinking around workplace hierar- 2006 2018
European country updates their rules line manager. Inevitably, collating this 50 in employment. They make up As the workforce gets older, com- ple don’t apply for a role, a stopgap chy and training. It requires mak-
and regulations to meet the EU regula- data without a solid process causes almost one third of the workforce, petition is intensifying for the best measure. A consequence might be ing adjustments at work to ensure
tion, the compliance obligations for an delays and snags. compared with one in five in the ear- and most experienced staff. that older workers are denied access older employees can work to their -1% +29% +108%
employer increase. Additionally, since Furthermore, leaving this process ly-1990s. With the average employee There are fewer school-leavers and to training for technology-based best ability, making the fullest
the application of the directive is left to local HR departments and payroll now in their 40s and the state pen- the expectation is that it will become employment, for example, because contribution as valued colleagues.
to the country itself, slightly different administrators may not be the most sion age increasing, this is only set more difficult to fill vacancies with line managers feel it does not repre- It means adopting positive poli-
rules apply by country, making compli- appropriate course of action. While to grow over the next decade. workers from outside the UK. The sent a worthwhile investment. cies designed to ensure discrimi-
ance more complex. the local teams are likely to know what nation on the basis of age does not
Failure to comply with the posting they need to do, there are benefits in take place.
country requirements can lead to having a more organised process.

fabio neo amato/Unsplash

This isn’t just about doing the
fines, bans on receiving short-term Not only does a central process help right thing or political correctness.
postings or countries reporting the ensure that risks and bottlenecks can There is strong evidence that hir-
names of transgressors publicly to be identified at a higher level, it also ing older workers is also good for
encourage compliance. means the company can use one pro- business. Employers report that
cess to manage all postings, leading solutions. “The tool can identify For this, PinPoint can send a sin- older workers are reliable and con-
to better efficiency in managing the posted workers from travel, calendar gle-use link to allow the person to scientious. They contribute valua-

83%
data and administration. or expense data, create workflows to complete an online form with only the ble business experience and knowl-
Software can do more than just help guide businesses through the regis- information they need to complete. edge of their sector. They are often
businesses administer compliance; tration process, including collecting This enables quick and simple data better placed to manage themselves
innovative technological solutions information from different sources, collection, while preventing users and others in the workplace, com-
can ensure the risk faced by enter- and produce the completed registra- from seeing anything more than the
The reputational risk
pared with younger colleagues.
increase in posted workers
prises is kept to a minimum. tion document.” between 2010 and 2017 information they are providing. Older workers transfer vital knowl-
to a multinational “The Equus PinPoint business trav- The PinPoint application connects It is important for businesses work- edge and skills, a key benefit of
eller software has dedicated posted with HR, travel and expense systems, ing in Europe to have a way of organis- an age-diverse workforce. Age-
of being exposed as worker features,” says Oliver Trundley, so when employee travel is booked, ing and tracking posted worker appli- diversity can help solve complex
not completing their

174%
vice president of product marketing workflows will notify the relevant cations at every stage, from identifying problems by bringing together a mix
at Equus Software, a market leader in people in the home and posting coun- the posting requirement, collecting of ideas, skills, strengths and expe-
registrations is huge cloud-based relocation and mobility tries to begin the application. The data and submitting the application to riences. And it is often overlooked
software will automatically route and tracking the posting end-date. that older workers can be a better
contact the correct people for their “The value of the software is that it match with service users and cus-
input, which is likely to be different rise in intra-European information structures the data collection process tomers, who are also getting older.
LEVERAGING SOFTWARE TO MAINTAIN POSTED WORKER COMPLIANCE people in different roles, depending exchanges on posted workers and adds oversight. It reduces time According to the Centre for
on the country combination. between Q3 2017 and Q1 2019 spent as data can be integrated, the Ageing Better, which campaigns
Automatically Using workflow not only helps to requirements are configured by coun- for fairness for older people,
Automate Manage status & determine requirements and track try, and requests and notifications can there are simple ways for employ-
identify posted registration data create completed
worker registration progress, it also enables an employer be automated. Getting the registra- ers to become more age friendly.
collection registration to see the status of the posting reg- in the system, with no need to collect tion admin as slick as possible is key
requirement “The steps needed are clear,” says
istration, make sure all steps are them again. For managers both sending for employers to get their employees the chief executive Anna Dixon.
complete and ensure the move can and receiving employees, using a famil- to post quickly while remaining com- “Firstly, make flexible working the
Pay slips happen as soon as possible. iar system in a consistent way makes pliant,” Mr Trundley concludes. default for every job, so it’s easier
Working times “There is an element of process effi- their lives easier and thus encourages for people with health problems or
and conditions ciency in implementing the same pro- faster compliance. caring responsibilities to remain in
Employee cess everywhere. Although some of the Getting the right data collection work. Ensure training and progres-
information
questions and content may be differ- method is also important. Some data For more information please visit sion opportunities are open to peo-
Contract
ent, the process and the base data will can be pulled directly from HR systems www.equusoft.com/postedworkers ple of all ages, including those later

50-64 year olds

35-49 year olds
be the same,” says Mr Trundley. via integration, some can be recycled

65+ year olds

in their careers.
For example, if the same employee has for each posting, where employees or “And tackle ageism, particularly
Scan travel data and Manage data collection Track status and produce
identify where posting from different sources completed application
a number of postings in different loca- posting details are the same. However, in recruitment, where many older
registrations are required tions, the copies of their employment there is always going to be an element workers perceive a disadvantage.”
contracts and status of existing certifi- of needing to contact one person, one Age is usually absent from
cates of coverage (A1s) are already saved time, to collect a little information. discussions about the UK’s Centre for Ageing Better 2019
14 FUTURE OF HR RACONTEUR.NET 15
Commercial feature
traditional approach to building a
workforce by hiring younger workers Five key steps to becoming
is no longer sustainable because the
OLDE R GE NE R ATIONS age-friendly employers
numbers are simply not there.

EU posted worker legislation needs Firms need

By contrast, people are working
into their 60s and 70s, retraining
and starting new careers in mid-life 01 Offer more kinds of
flexible working and 04 Provide opportunities
for all employees to
and even coming out of retirement. help people know their options develop their careers, and

technology to protect brands to get better

Yet even though companies are hir- plan for the future at mid-life
ing more older workers, they remain
an underexploited asset. Raising UK 02 Actively target
candidates of all
and beyond

employment rates for 55 to 64 year ages and cut out age bias in
05 Equip HR professionals

with age
olds to similar levels as Sweden or recruitment processes and managers to
New Zealand would increase the UK promote an age-positive culture,
Dealing with job postings in Europe does not have to be a headache workforce by more than 3 per cent or
03 Ensure everyone has the and support interaction across
one million people. health support they need all ages
The challenge for employers is to
attract the skills and talent they

he number of employees being For example, maximum fines per

New workforce demographics may pose need, and to create a workforce cul-
ture that supports people of all ages. “A key hurdle is dispelling myths competitiveness. The reality is that
T sent to work abroad within worker can range from €1,165 in Malta human resources challenges, but savvy But too few organisations, and changing mindsets,” says Andy until workplace culture accepts
Europe is growing steadily, to €10,000 in Austria and Finland. whether in the public or private sec- Briggs, former chief executive of UK that change is needed to welcome
mirroring global trends. According to the Whereas being named and shamed as organisations should see older workers tors, have fully embraced the impli- insurance at Aviva, who champions employees of all ages, firms are
latest figures available, in 2017 alone, 2.8 an organisation that is breaching rules cations of this profound demo- the recruitment of older workers. going to struggle through skills
million workers were posted from one around posted workers can be hugely as an opportunity graphic change. Many are not in a “At Aviva, we provided training for shortages, poor retention rates
European Union country to another, an damaging to corporate reputations. position to take advantage of the line managers on the importance of and lack of employee engagement.
increase of 83 per cent on 2010. To complicate things further, com- opportunities this change presents, having career conversations with The key to a prosperous corporate
To ensure a level playing field for panies should complete posted worker nor are they prepared to mitigate people of all ages, as well as sharing future is investing in workers with
employees and protect their rights registrations in advance of the employee the possible impact on their busi- statistics to challenge the assump- a past.
when being sent abroad, the EU entering their posting country. Collecting ness models. tion that older workers are less pro-
Martin Barrow
has been enhancing its rules and all the necessary application information Recruitment and HR processes ductive or engaged.”
enforcement around the posting of can be time consuming and potentially generally are still geared towards The new workforce dynamics PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN
workers since the regulations were delay the posting process. Often the reg- ritain is getting older There are more people approach- hiring younger workers and promot- require companies to hire and NUMBER OF WORKERS
established in 1996. istration data needs to be provided by a B and so is its workforce. ing retirement than there are at the ing them as they gain experience train older workers, particularly BY AGE GROUP
The latest directive on posted work- range of different sources, such as pay Companies are hiring beginning of their working lives through knowledge and training. for technology-based employment.
ers has to be transposed into national slips from payroll, contracts from human older workers so there are now more and skills shortages are becoming Too often, hiring older workers is This challenges conventional
law by July 30, 2020 and as each resources and posting details from the than ten million people aged over acute in many sectors of business. seen as a last resort if younger peo- thinking around workplace hierar- 2006 2018
European country updates their rules line manager. Inevitably, collating this 50 in employment. They make up As the workforce gets older, com- ple don’t apply for a role, a stopgap chy and training. It requires mak-
and regulations to meet the EU regula- data without a solid process causes almost one third of the workforce, petition is intensifying for the best measure. A consequence might be ing adjustments at work to ensure
tion, the compliance obligations for an delays and snags. compared with one in five in the ear- and most experienced staff. that older workers are denied access older employees can work to their -1% +29% +108%
employer increase. Additionally, since Furthermore, leaving this process ly-1990s. With the average employee There are fewer school-leavers and to training for technology-based best ability, making the fullest
the application of the directive is left to local HR departments and payroll now in their 40s and the state pen- the expectation is that it will become employment, for example, because contribution as valued colleagues.
to the country itself, slightly different administrators may not be the most sion age increasing, this is only set more difficult to fill vacancies with line managers feel it does not repre- It means adopting positive poli-
rules apply by country, making compli- appropriate course of action. While to grow over the next decade. workers from outside the UK. The sent a worthwhile investment. cies designed to ensure discrimi-
ance more complex. the local teams are likely to know what nation on the basis of age does not
Failure to comply with the posting they need to do, there are benefits in take place.
country requirements can lead to having a more organised process.

fabio neo amato/Unsplash

This isn’t just about doing the
fines, bans on receiving short-term Not only does a central process help right thing or political correctness.
postings or countries reporting the ensure that risks and bottlenecks can There is strong evidence that hir-
names of transgressors publicly to be identified at a higher level, it also ing older workers is also good for
encourage compliance. means the company can use one pro- business. Employers report that
cess to manage all postings, leading solutions. “The tool can identify For this, PinPoint can send a sin- older workers are reliable and con-
to better efficiency in managing the posted workers from travel, calendar gle-use link to allow the person to scientious. They contribute valua-

83%
data and administration. or expense data, create workflows to complete an online form with only the ble business experience and knowl-
Software can do more than just help guide businesses through the regis- information they need to complete. edge of their sector. They are often
businesses administer compliance; tration process, including collecting This enables quick and simple data better placed to manage themselves
innovative technological solutions information from different sources, collection, while preventing users and others in the workplace, com-
can ensure the risk faced by enter- and produce the completed registra- from seeing anything more than the
The reputational risk
pared with younger colleagues.
increase in posted workers
prises is kept to a minimum. tion document.” between 2010 and 2017 information they are providing. Older workers transfer vital knowl-
to a multinational “The Equus PinPoint business trav- The PinPoint application connects It is important for businesses work- edge and skills, a key benefit of
eller software has dedicated posted with HR, travel and expense systems, ing in Europe to have a way of organis- an age-diverse workforce. Age-
of being exposed as worker features,” says Oliver Trundley, so when employee travel is booked, ing and tracking posted worker appli- diversity can help solve complex
not completing their

174%
vice president of product marketing workflows will notify the relevant cations at every stage, from identifying problems by bringing together a mix
at Equus Software, a market leader in people in the home and posting coun- the posting requirement, collecting of ideas, skills, strengths and expe-
registrations is huge cloud-based relocation and mobility tries to begin the application. The data and submitting the application to riences. And it is often overlooked
software will automatically route and tracking the posting end-date. that older workers can be a better
contact the correct people for their “The value of the software is that it match with service users and cus-
input, which is likely to be different rise in intra-European information structures the data collection process tomers, who are also getting older.
LEVERAGING SOFTWARE TO MAINTAIN POSTED WORKER COMPLIANCE people in different roles, depending exchanges on posted workers and adds oversight. It reduces time According to the Centre for
on the country combination. between Q3 2017 and Q1 2019 spent as data can be integrated, the Ageing Better, which campaigns
Automatically Using workflow not only helps to requirements are configured by coun- for fairness for older people,
Automate Manage status & determine requirements and track try, and requests and notifications can there are simple ways for employ-
identify posted registration data create completed
worker registration progress, it also enables an employer be automated. Getting the registra- ers to become more age friendly.
collection registration to see the status of the posting reg- in the system, with no need to collect tion admin as slick as possible is key
requirement “The steps needed are clear,” says
istration, make sure all steps are them again. For managers both sending for employers to get their employees the chief executive Anna Dixon.
complete and ensure the move can and receiving employees, using a famil- to post quickly while remaining com- “Firstly, make flexible working the
Pay slips happen as soon as possible. iar system in a consistent way makes pliant,” Mr Trundley concludes. default for every job, so it’s easier
Working times “There is an element of process effi- their lives easier and thus encourages for people with health problems or
and conditions ciency in implementing the same pro- faster compliance. caring responsibilities to remain in
Employee cess everywhere. Although some of the Getting the right data collection work. Ensure training and progres-
information
questions and content may be differ- method is also important. Some data For more information please visit sion opportunities are open to peo-
Contract
ent, the process and the base data will can be pulled directly from HR systems www.equusoft.com/postedworkers ple of all ages, including those later

50-64 year olds

35-49 year olds
be the same,” says Mr Trundley. via integration, some can be recycled

65+ year olds

in their careers.
For example, if the same employee has for each posting, where employees or “And tackle ageism, particularly
Scan travel data and Manage data collection Track status and produce
identify where posting from different sources completed application
a number of postings in different loca- posting details are the same. However, in recruitment, where many older
registrations are required tions, the copies of their employment there is always going to be an element workers perceive a disadvantage.”
contracts and status of existing certifi- of needing to contact one person, one Age is usually absent from
cates of coverage (A1s) are already saved time, to collect a little information. discussions about the UK’s Centre for Ageing Better 2019
16 FUTURE OF HR RACONTEUR.NET 17
Commercial feature

Source
Pjukan tateisi/Unsplash
RESPONSIBILITY

Q&A
Is HR doing A question of teaching digital HR
too much? The Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR) is the world’s leading provider
As recognition of the importance of tuition in people analytics and digital human resources
of human resources grows, is HR
taking on too much?
he AIHR founders Nando What sets you apart
T Steenhuis and Erik van Vulpen from the rest?
were both 25 years old when I think the attraction of our
Peter Crush they started the company three years content and courses is their
ago, so they are digital natives them- depth and practicality. No one is cov-

No
selves. They now reach more than ering topics like the future of work,
200,000 HR professionals around the digital HR strategy and people ana-
world every month and educate them lytics in so much detail, making it
on digital and data. Mr van Vulpen so practical, while also making it so
Jane Brydon, HR director of Heineken UK answers questions about the skills gap accessible. Our courses teach HR
in HR and what action organisations can practitioners skills they can apply
et’s be honest. The world diversity and ambassador networks, take to fix it. at work the next day. We do this by
L of HR, and specifically the open to all; female representation working with the best subject matter
role of HR, has been chang- at senior levels grew to 20 per cent Is there a skills gap in HR? experts from all over the world. They
ing for some time now. Is HR about between 2017 and 2018, up from 12 Absolutely. Earlier this week I are practitioners themselves, so they
people? Yes, absolutely, but today per cent in 2011, and our ambition is was in a call with an HR direc- know the ropes. Also, we are digi-
it’s so much more. HR’s role has nec- to hit 25 per cent by 2020. tor who has a staff of 550 people of tal natives and believe in the power
essarily expanded because the pur- We also run training for leaders which twenty have technical skills. He of technology to change the lives of
pose of organisations has widened. about how they can be “present”. needs to quadruple this to at least 80 employees. Our customers like us

Yes
HR is no longer just about poli- We involve employees when mak- people with technical skills in the next because we provide high-quality,
cy-making, but about advising lead- ing change that impacts them. two years. That is pretty typical. Over innovative and practical education.
ers on the role companies play in This is what I call real transfor- time the need for HR professionals to Do you want to learn digital skills and
society; about how they create cul- mation of HR, not HR sitting in a have technical skills will keep growing. the future of work from an old corpo-
tures where they encourage their darkened room. Claudia Bartram, head of organisational development and HR at Look Ahead Many companies will struggle to find rate dinosaur or from digital natives?
people, from all backgrounds, to It’s easy to try and put HR func- the people they need. Obviously the latter. That’s how we’ve
bring their whole self to work. tions into buckets and say they’re I’ve worked in the profession for 22 the three narrow areas of recruitment, I understand board members been able to grow so quickly.
Some might say we’re creating now trying to do too much, but years and in this time have seen the payroll and disciplinary management might well expect HR to have a How can you help solve a full-time equivalent [hours worked by and the Middle East too. We now have Do students miss
new labels, such as diversity or ultimately, nowadays, you can’t role of HR expand from pretty much to everything from change manage- broader remit, to be able to con- this problem? How important is one employee on a full-time basis] to learners in more than 60 countries. classroom interaction?
inclusion, as some sort of badge to think in silos; they all interact. ment, health and wellbeing, engage- tribute at the top table. But I also We founded AIHR in 2016 data-driven HR? your payroll for a year to implement it. We offer a community for students
promote ourselves, but how is this The role of HR is actually to ensure ment, diversity and inclusion, and so feel there is sense in mastering the because of this skills gap. We Data-driven organisations out- It’s an ongoing process and it needs to Who enrols? to interact online. It’s extremely
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING CAPABILITIES AND
doing too much when you’re work- they educate leaders and man- much more. key areas that matter, and speak- started writing about topics like people perform on various financial met- be managed by people who understand The interest is astronomical. popular. Students can ask questions and
ing towards creating cultures that agers about understanding these CHARACTERISTICS WILL BEST DEFINE THE While this isn’t necessarily a bad ing expertly on these, rather than analytics and digital HR on our blog rics such as profit margins and return the process and see how technology We currently draw 200,000 get answers from fellow HR profession-
drive performance? connections too. CHRO ROLE IN THREE YEARS? thing – one of the real benefits is very broadly and not very well called analyticsinhr.com. We believe on assets. According to McKinsey, dig- can be leveraged for more efficient and visitors a month to our websites. The als from across the world. The instruc-
Crucially, HR isn’t moving into Is it a challenge for HR juggling that I feel HR now acts far less like about lots of things. in free knowledge-sharing, as that will ital transformation has risen to the top effective HR policies. typical age is 30 to 50. Most of our tors participate too. This means that if
the soft stuff. This is the hard stuff. more elements? Maybe. But I’m it “processes” people – I do think While technology is helpful, push HR forward. Our readers started of chief executives’ strategic plans. As courses don’t require any specific you have a problem at work, you can get
Expectations from all stakeholders not convinced it’s any harder. there is an argument for at least and some might say it gives HR asking us for courses about people an HR professional, you need to under- Who are your biggest clients? technical or mathematical back- input from our HR practitioner commu-
are changing. Looking at what infra- They’ve not got any harder looking at what this means for the ability to be better and more analytics and digital HR. We decided stand this process and be able to ask the We supply 175 of the Fortune 500 ground. Naturally, you need to be in nity. This is incredibly useful. We also have
structures we need to support our individually; it’s more how the discipline. expert at these new demands to create educational courses and the relevant questions to ensure this trans- companies, including Nike, EY, an HR role to apply the knowledge but a personal coach. This person will always
people isn’t HR creep, but HR essen- they come together. The Ability to create a These days HR has to be good at faster, I’m less convinced. Yes, rest is history. We’re now the largest formation will be a success. But there is UBS, Philips, McKinsey and Tata. The you don’t need the technical skills. be there for you to answer any questions,
56% digital, consumerised help you design your own personal learn-
tial. You can set all the standard key agenda hasn’t changed, so many disciplines, but I don’t it creates great data, but I don’t online educator in people analytics more to it. A transformation isn’t some- United States is our biggest market, then That is what we teach; we start with
performance indicators around hir- just the context in which employee experience think many HR professionals are yet think it’s there when it comes and digital HR in the world. thing you do in a year. You cannot add Europe. We are expanding across Asia the very basics. ing path and motivate you to keep going.
ing and retention, but they won’t we do our work. or can be. It’s incredibly hard to be to making HR more “human”.
mean anything without having a So, I don’t believe we’re excellent – for excellence is what is Artificial intelligence and chat- What courses do you offer? What is the future for AIHR?
culture and the right leadership really over expanding our ultimately expected – in all areas bots are fine when it comes to help- HOW FREQUENTLY DO YOU USE THESE T YPES OF EVIDENCE TO INFORM BUSINESS DECISIONS? (%) We offer different courses and We want to raise the technical
Ability to influence
behaviours in place that support it. role. The role of HR is essen- and there are areas within HR, ing to answer common questions, programmes. Popular pro- competence of the entire HR
and partner with other
At Heineken, we talk about so tially the same, to hire, 44% such as reward, that are arguably but there’s a lot about HR that still Always Often Sometimes Rarely Never grammes include the People Analytics industry. It is obvious that HR profession-
C-level executives to set CIPD, 2017
many things, such as the impor- develop, retain and move specialisms in their own right and requires a human perspective and Certification Programme and Digital als who can implement and harness data
and manage strategy
tance of sleep and good mental on the best possible people. which need their own expert head human judgment. HR Certification Programme. Individual are the ones who will lead the industry
Personal experience 19 58 17 2 1
health as the building blocks of cre- Perhaps it’s easiest explained of department. The benefit of being in HR for courses include Digital Transformation, and bring significant value to their organ-
ating a great at-work culture. We run like this: our actual hiring I do believe HR should be looking some time is that it gives you experi- The judgement of experienced HR Analytics Leader Course or the isations. We will ensure everyone has
15 56 21 5 1 People Analytics for HR Business a chance to succeed, even those who
strategy hasn’t changed at all Focus on role of talent to be better at a tighter number of ence of knowing exactly what’s the professionals within my organisation
in the last five years; the objec- 27% management in driving core areas, including disciplinar- latest buzzword or trend, or what Data, facts and figures I or my colleagues
Partners course. don’t have technical skills or can’t use
tive is still to get the very best corporate performance ies and redundancies (they still works and what doesn’t. With the 21 48 21 5 2 tools like Excel. Our online courses are the
have gathered from my organisation
talent. But how to stay success- happen), learning and develop- benefit of experience you have the There is an ‘all you can learn’ fastest way to learn. Any HR professional
Values and concerns of people
ful to meet those objectives has ment, and recruitment. confidence of knowing what three 13 50 28 4 2 option. Is this popular? can enrol and improve. At the Academy
affected by the decision
changed massively. It’s just that The latter two have both changed or four key HR areas really matter It is our most popular option. to Innovate HR, it is our mission to make
the world in which we operate has Understanding of enormously in recent years, both at any one time and really make a Advice from a colleague 7 48 36 5 1 You get unlimited access for 18 HR future-proof by offering world-class
become more complex. advanced analytics from a technology and deployment difference. You can edit back with- months. From a user perspective, it online education programmes available
22%
The real role of HR is to adapt; and its application to point of view, and they require a out being sucked into thinking you Intuition 7 38 40 9 2 makes sense, as when people com- anywhere, anytime.
Is it a challenge our role is to respond to new chal- employee data much greater level of technical have to do everything. plete one course they are eager to
for HR juggling lenges and so this means having
to think differently about new top-
proficiency, whether it’s creat-
ing smoother online engagement
I sense it’s tough for the new crop
of HR professionals; these are peo-
Knowledge acquired
through formal education
8 35 37 14 2 learn more. We also see companies
such as the ones I mentioned ear- To learn more or enrol please visit
more elements? ics. If the environment you work Ability to manage strategies or having better expe- ple who will be expected to deliver Insights provided by external experts 3 30 41 19 4 lier buying tuition for entire depart- AIHR.com
traditional HR and ments. Our portal can be incor-
Maybe. But I’m in changes, we as HR professionals
simply need to work differently. If
6%
talent management
riences for applicants. Learning
and development too is a disci-
on a much wider remit than used
to be the case, which can proba- porated into almost all corporate
Management literature 4 25 41 20 6
not convinced that’s seen as taking on too much, tasks and decisions pline that needs to be delivered in bly feel overwhelming if they don’t learning management systems, so
that’s fine with me. I wouldn’t want much more inventive and innova- have experience and a generalist employees can connect from within
it’s any harder it any different. Service Now 2018 tive ways. background to draw on.
Results from scientific research 2 20 30 30 12
their own company portal.
ACA D E M Y
16 FUTURE OF HR RACONTEUR.NET 17
Commercial feature

Source
Pjukan tateisi/Unsplash
RESPONSIBILITY

Q&A
Is HR doing A question of teaching digital HR
too much? The Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR) is the world’s leading provider
As recognition of the importance of tuition in people analytics and digital human resources
of human resources grows, is HR
taking on too much?
he AIHR founders Nando What sets you apart
T Steenhuis and Erik van Vulpen from the rest?
were both 25 years old when I think the attraction of our
Peter Crush they started the company three years content and courses is their
ago, so they are digital natives them- depth and practicality. No one is cov-

No
selves. They now reach more than ering topics like the future of work,
200,000 HR professionals around the digital HR strategy and people ana-
world every month and educate them lytics in so much detail, making it
on digital and data. Mr van Vulpen so practical, while also making it so
Jane Brydon, HR director of Heineken UK answers questions about the skills gap accessible. Our courses teach HR
in HR and what action organisations can practitioners skills they can apply
et’s be honest. The world diversity and ambassador networks, take to fix it. at work the next day. We do this by
L of HR, and specifically the open to all; female representation working with the best subject matter
role of HR, has been chang- at senior levels grew to 20 per cent Is there a skills gap in HR? experts from all over the world. They
ing for some time now. Is HR about between 2017 and 2018, up from 12 Absolutely. Earlier this week I are practitioners themselves, so they
people? Yes, absolutely, but today per cent in 2011, and our ambition is was in a call with an HR direc- know the ropes. Also, we are digi-
it’s so much more. HR’s role has nec- to hit 25 per cent by 2020. tor who has a staff of 550 people of tal natives and believe in the power
essarily expanded because the pur- We also run training for leaders which twenty have technical skills. He of technology to change the lives of
pose of organisations has widened. about how they can be “present”. needs to quadruple this to at least 80 employees. Our customers like us

Yes
HR is no longer just about poli- We involve employees when mak- people with technical skills in the next because we provide high-quality,
cy-making, but about advising lead- ing change that impacts them. two years. That is pretty typical. Over innovative and practical education.
ers on the role companies play in This is what I call real transfor- time the need for HR professionals to Do you want to learn digital skills and
society; about how they create cul- mation of HR, not HR sitting in a have technical skills will keep growing. the future of work from an old corpo-
tures where they encourage their darkened room. Claudia Bartram, head of organisational development and HR at Look Ahead Many companies will struggle to find rate dinosaur or from digital natives?
people, from all backgrounds, to It’s easy to try and put HR func- the people they need. Obviously the latter. That’s how we’ve
bring their whole self to work. tions into buckets and say they’re I’ve worked in the profession for 22 the three narrow areas of recruitment, I understand board members been able to grow so quickly.
Some might say we’re creating now trying to do too much, but years and in this time have seen the payroll and disciplinary management might well expect HR to have a How can you help solve a full-time equivalent [hours worked by and the Middle East too. We now have Do students miss
new labels, such as diversity or ultimately, nowadays, you can’t role of HR expand from pretty much to everything from change manage- broader remit, to be able to con- this problem? How important is one employee on a full-time basis] to learners in more than 60 countries. classroom interaction?
inclusion, as some sort of badge to think in silos; they all interact. ment, health and wellbeing, engage- tribute at the top table. But I also We founded AIHR in 2016 data-driven HR? your payroll for a year to implement it. We offer a community for students
promote ourselves, but how is this The role of HR is actually to ensure ment, diversity and inclusion, and so feel there is sense in mastering the because of this skills gap. We Data-driven organisations out- It’s an ongoing process and it needs to Who enrols? to interact online. It’s extremely
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING CAPABILITIES AND
doing too much when you’re work- they educate leaders and man- much more. key areas that matter, and speak- started writing about topics like people perform on various financial met- be managed by people who understand The interest is astronomical. popular. Students can ask questions and
ing towards creating cultures that agers about understanding these CHARACTERISTICS WILL BEST DEFINE THE While this isn’t necessarily a bad ing expertly on these, rather than analytics and digital HR on our blog rics such as profit margins and return the process and see how technology We currently draw 200,000 get answers from fellow HR profession-
drive performance? connections too. CHRO ROLE IN THREE YEARS? thing – one of the real benefits is very broadly and not very well called analyticsinhr.com. We believe on assets. According to McKinsey, dig- can be leveraged for more efficient and visitors a month to our websites. The als from across the world. The instruc-
Crucially, HR isn’t moving into Is it a challenge for HR juggling that I feel HR now acts far less like about lots of things. in free knowledge-sharing, as that will ital transformation has risen to the top effective HR policies. typical age is 30 to 50. Most of our tors participate too. This means that if
the soft stuff. This is the hard stuff. more elements? Maybe. But I’m it “processes” people – I do think While technology is helpful, push HR forward. Our readers started of chief executives’ strategic plans. As courses don’t require any specific you have a problem at work, you can get
Expectations from all stakeholders not convinced it’s any harder. there is an argument for at least and some might say it gives HR asking us for courses about people an HR professional, you need to under- Who are your biggest clients? technical or mathematical back- input from our HR practitioner commu-
are changing. Looking at what infra- They’ve not got any harder looking at what this means for the ability to be better and more analytics and digital HR. We decided stand this process and be able to ask the We supply 175 of the Fortune 500 ground. Naturally, you need to be in nity. This is incredibly useful. We also have
structures we need to support our individually; it’s more how the discipline. expert at these new demands to create educational courses and the relevant questions to ensure this trans- companies, including Nike, EY, an HR role to apply the knowledge but a personal coach. This person will always
people isn’t HR creep, but HR essen- they come together. The Ability to create a These days HR has to be good at faster, I’m less convinced. Yes, rest is history. We’re now the largest formation will be a success. But there is UBS, Philips, McKinsey and Tata. The you don’t need the technical skills. be there for you to answer any questions,
56% digital, consumerised help you design your own personal learn-
tial. You can set all the standard key agenda hasn’t changed, so many disciplines, but I don’t it creates great data, but I don’t online educator in people analytics more to it. A transformation isn’t some- United States is our biggest market, then That is what we teach; we start with
performance indicators around hir- just the context in which employee experience think many HR professionals are yet think it’s there when it comes and digital HR in the world. thing you do in a year. You cannot add Europe. We are expanding across Asia the very basics. ing path and motivate you to keep going.
ing and retention, but they won’t we do our work. or can be. It’s incredibly hard to be to making HR more “human”.
mean anything without having a So, I don’t believe we’re excellent – for excellence is what is Artificial intelligence and chat- What courses do you offer? What is the future for AIHR?
culture and the right leadership really over expanding our ultimately expected – in all areas bots are fine when it comes to help- HOW FREQUENTLY DO YOU USE THESE T YPES OF EVIDENCE TO INFORM BUSINESS DECISIONS? (%) We offer different courses and We want to raise the technical
Ability to influence
behaviours in place that support it. role. The role of HR is essen- and there are areas within HR, ing to answer common questions, programmes. Popular pro- competence of the entire HR
and partner with other
At Heineken, we talk about so tially the same, to hire, 44% such as reward, that are arguably but there’s a lot about HR that still Always Often Sometimes Rarely Never grammes include the People Analytics industry. It is obvious that HR profession-
C-level executives to set CIPD, 2017
many things, such as the impor- develop, retain and move specialisms in their own right and requires a human perspective and Certification Programme and Digital als who can implement and harness data
and manage strategy
tance of sleep and good mental on the best possible people. which need their own expert head human judgment. HR Certification Programme. Individual are the ones who will lead the industry
Personal experience 19 58 17 2 1
health as the building blocks of cre- Perhaps it’s easiest explained of department. The benefit of being in HR for courses include Digital Transformation, and bring significant value to their organ-
ating a great at-work culture. We run like this: our actual hiring I do believe HR should be looking some time is that it gives you experi- The judgement of experienced HR Analytics Leader Course or the isations. We will ensure everyone has
15 56 21 5 1 People Analytics for HR Business a chance to succeed, even those who
strategy hasn’t changed at all Focus on role of talent to be better at a tighter number of ence of knowing exactly what’s the professionals within my organisation
in the last five years; the objec- 27% management in driving core areas, including disciplinar- latest buzzword or trend, or what Data, facts and figures I or my colleagues
Partners course. don’t have technical skills or can’t use
tive is still to get the very best corporate performance ies and redundancies (they still works and what doesn’t. With the 21 48 21 5 2 tools like Excel. Our online courses are the
have gathered from my organisation
talent. But how to stay success- happen), learning and develop- benefit of experience you have the There is an ‘all you can learn’ fastest way to learn. Any HR professional
Values and concerns of people
ful to meet those objectives has ment, and recruitment. confidence of knowing what three 13 50 28 4 2 option. Is this popular? can enrol and improve. At the Academy
affected by the decision
changed massively. It’s just that The latter two have both changed or four key HR areas really matter It is our most popular option. to Innovate HR, it is our mission to make
the world in which we operate has Understanding of enormously in recent years, both at any one time and really make a Advice from a colleague 7 48 36 5 1 You get unlimited access for 18 HR future-proof by offering world-class
become more complex. advanced analytics from a technology and deployment difference. You can edit back with- months. From a user perspective, it online education programmes available
22%
The real role of HR is to adapt; and its application to point of view, and they require a out being sucked into thinking you Intuition 7 38 40 9 2 makes sense, as when people com- anywhere, anytime.
Is it a challenge our role is to respond to new chal- employee data much greater level of technical have to do everything. plete one course they are eager to
for HR juggling lenges and so this means having
to think differently about new top-
proficiency, whether it’s creat-
ing smoother online engagement
I sense it’s tough for the new crop
of HR professionals; these are peo-
Knowledge acquired
through formal education
8 35 37 14 2 learn more. We also see companies
such as the ones I mentioned ear- To learn more or enrol please visit
more elements? ics. If the environment you work Ability to manage strategies or having better expe- ple who will be expected to deliver Insights provided by external experts 3 30 41 19 4 lier buying tuition for entire depart- AIHR.com
traditional HR and ments. Our portal can be incor-
Maybe. But I’m in changes, we as HR professionals
simply need to work differently. If
6%
talent management
riences for applicants. Learning
and development too is a disci-
on a much wider remit than used
to be the case, which can proba- porated into almost all corporate
Management literature 4 25 41 20 6
not convinced that’s seen as taking on too much, tasks and decisions pline that needs to be delivered in bly feel overwhelming if they don’t learning management systems, so
that’s fine with me. I wouldn’t want much more inventive and innova- have experience and a generalist employees can connect from within
it’s any harder it any different. Service Now 2018 tive ways. background to draw on.
Results from scientific research 2 20 30 30 12
their own company portal.
ACA D E M Y
18 FUTURE OF HR RACONTEUR.NET 19

Matthews, chief people officer at to keep iterating our workplace to

Ogilvy UK. “However, the beauty get the best out of every single one of
of creativity is that the next best our people,” says Ms Matthews. “Not
idea can come from anyone, any- everyone can interview the same
where and we need to actively cele- way, not everyone works the same
brate that by giving more people the way, so we continue to question our-

CEOs
opportunity to be part of it. selves, instead of holding everyone
“There is a huge amount of benefit to a cookie-cutter standard.”
in hiring diverse talent, especially Talent management teams need
in a creative industry where we are to continue collaborating and lis-
always in need of new points of view, tening. Assuming what people want

need
perspectives and thinking to bring and need from their experiences
to life that next big idea.” at work is a flawed approach, she
Of course, incorporating neurodi- insists. “Instead, it’s about co-de-
versity in the workplace as a delib- signing policies and practices, com-
erate HR strategy has its challenges. ing from a place of openness.”

to find
Aliya Vigor-Robertson, co-founder of These are steps all organisa-
JourneyHR, points to statistics that tions can take. “Quite simply, when
show only 16 per cent of people in the our Autism at Work programme
UK with autism are in employment. launched in 2013 in North America,
“Although it’s well known they’re we believed it was the right thing to

their voice
more likely to have key skills employ- do,” Mr Duffy recalls of SAP’s initial
ers value, such as being detail ori- emphasis on neurodiversity.
ented with strong analytical skills,” “But since that point, it has now
she says, adding that these very skills placed over 155 people with autism
will become even more sought after in 26 different roles in 13 countries.
as technology becomes more domi- They are making valuable additions
nant in the workplace. to SAP’s workforce, as well as hav-
It is crucial HR professionals are ing an extremely positive effect on
educated about the issues neu- employees and managers, a result

Introducing the CEO amplifier,

rodiverse people face in the UK. we hoped for. But we never expected
For instance, people with dyslexia the level of return on investment we
might submit CVs with spelling have. We have seen many employ-
errors. “This doesn’t mean they
should be ruled out of the running
ees come forward and self-disclose
their autism as a result of the pro- a three step programme
to transform you into
for a role that has less emphasis on gramme, and we have a 90 per cent
writing,” says Ms Vigor-Robertson. retention rate globally for people
Also, it’s important to ensure with autism.”
the specific needs of neurodiverse
employees are taken into consid-
When it comes to neurodiversity
in the workplace, it’s clear that bold an industry influencer
eration. “We have to rethink tradi- thinking at the top achieves tangi-
tional hiring methods and we have ble results.
Emily Hill

NEURODIVERSIT Y AND EMPLOYMENT

he term “neurodiver- but it is not alone. Software giant executive sponsor for diversity and
T sity” has come of age. SAP and advertising firm Ogilvy inclusion at SAP. “With neurodi- The prevalence, and challenges, of neurodiversity
First coined in 1998 by are both making strides to improve verse employees in particular, I am
Australian sociologist Judy Singer, staff neurodiversity. always struck with the raw authen-
who is herself autistic, it now rep- For instance, SAP has created and ticity they bring to our teams and
resents a key priority for the most invested heavily in an autism pro- customer relationships; they inter-
dynamic and forward-thinking gramme by restructuring its hiring pret and present ideas with such
human resources and C-suite exec- process to encourage neurodiverse clarity, which as a business leader is
utives, as well as a talent pool that recruitment. By taking neurodi- extremely refreshing.”
remains largely untapped.
“Neurodiversity in the workplace
has only relatively recently become
versity seriously, it has not only
strengthened the position of its
brand to future talent, but has also
Neurodiversity in the workplace
is not something SAP has incorpo-
rated simply as a matter of equality
10% 16%
an area of focus for HR profession- and inclusion; it’s something that’s
als,” says Shaun Hogan, senior asso- helpful to its business.
ciate at Stevens & Bolton. “It needs “When you also look at some of
to be at the forefront of their agenda the more typical traits which come
given that those who are neurodi- with those individuals who are on
vergent may qualify as suffering the spectrum, such as having strong
from a disability under the Equality visual learning skills with an ability of the of autistic adults in
Act 2010, which is often overlooked.” I am always struck to recognise patterns, then atten- population is the UK are in full-time
Professional services giant EY is tion to detail, concentration and neurodivergent employment
consciously pursuing a policy of with the raw perseverance over long periods, as
NEURODIVERSIT Y neurodiverse recruitment. “There
are three key benefits for our busi-
authenticity they well as high diligence and low tol-
erance for mistakes, are just some
bring to our teams

The business
ness,” says Justine Campbell, of the skills you can expect to gain
EY’s managing partner for tal-
ent. “First, the future depends on
and customer from expanding your talent pool in
this way,” says Mr Duffy.
relationships
73% 6%
our ability to innovate and this Both EY and SAP credit

case for
requires us to recognise and har- Specialisterne, a specialist consul-
ness diverse perspectives. Second, tancy that recruits and supports
our clients and communities are talented people with autism and
diverse and expect us to under- Asperger syndrome, for helping

neurodiversity
stand their needs and to represent helped improve productivity, cre- them develop a more neurodiverse
them in our workforce. ativity and efficiency. Its neurodi- recruitment process.
“And third, our own analy- verse employees currently occupy To embrace neurodiversity is to
sis, as well as many public stud- roles in 20 different business areas, appreciate how minds that think
ies, demonstrate that diverse and including engineering, research and differently might have insights
of unemployed autistic likelihood of people
inclusive organisations achieve development, HR, data protection that simply don’t occur to the rest

ceoamp.com
people say they want with learning
greater margins, profitability and and customer support. of the workforce.
Embracing a neurodiverse talent pool is customer satisfaction, and enjoy “This really is creating an impact “The ad industry in particu-
to work disabilities achieving
paid employment in
about more than equality and inclusion, increased employee engagement
and retention.”
on the full business, rather than
simply a small pocket of teams,”
lar is often perceived as an indus-
try where only those who exhibit
their lifetime

it’s actually best for business EY is leading the way when it comes says Brian Duffy, president Europe, extroverted, dominant personality
to neurodiversity in the workplace, Middle East and Africa North, and traits can succeed,” explains Helen CIPD, “Neurodiversity at work” 2018
18 FUTURE OF HR RACONTEUR.NET 19

Matthews, chief people officer at to keep iterating our workplace to

Ogilvy UK. “However, the beauty get the best out of every single one of
of creativity is that the next best our people,” says Ms Matthews. “Not
idea can come from anyone, any- everyone can interview the same
where and we need to actively cele- way, not everyone works the same
brate that by giving more people the way, so we continue to question our-

CEOs
opportunity to be part of it. selves, instead of holding everyone
“There is a huge amount of benefit to a cookie-cutter standard.”
in hiring diverse talent, especially Talent management teams need
in a creative industry where we are to continue collaborating and lis-
always in need of new points of view, tening. Assuming what people want

need
perspectives and thinking to bring and need from their experiences
to life that next big idea.” at work is a flawed approach, she
Of course, incorporating neurodi- insists. “Instead, it’s about co-de-
versity in the workplace as a delib- signing policies and practices, com-
erate HR strategy has its challenges. ing from a place of openness.”

to find
Aliya Vigor-Robertson, co-founder of These are steps all organisa-
JourneyHR, points to statistics that tions can take. “Quite simply, when
show only 16 per cent of people in the our Autism at Work programme
UK with autism are in employment. launched in 2013 in North America,
“Although it’s well known they’re we believed it was the right thing to

their voice
more likely to have key skills employ- do,” Mr Duffy recalls of SAP’s initial
ers value, such as being detail ori- emphasis on neurodiversity.
ented with strong analytical skills,” “But since that point, it has now
she says, adding that these very skills placed over 155 people with autism
will become even more sought after in 26 different roles in 13 countries.
as technology becomes more domi- They are making valuable additions
nant in the workplace. to SAP’s workforce, as well as hav-
It is crucial HR professionals are ing an extremely positive effect on
educated about the issues neu- employees and managers, a result

Introducing the CEO amplifier,

rodiverse people face in the UK. we hoped for. But we never expected
For instance, people with dyslexia the level of return on investment we
might submit CVs with spelling have. We have seen many employ-
errors. “This doesn’t mean they
should be ruled out of the running
ees come forward and self-disclose
their autism as a result of the pro- a three step programme
to transform you into
for a role that has less emphasis on gramme, and we have a 90 per cent
writing,” says Ms Vigor-Robertson. retention rate globally for people
Also, it’s important to ensure with autism.”
the specific needs of neurodiverse
employees are taken into consid-
When it comes to neurodiversity
in the workplace, it’s clear that bold an industry influencer
eration. “We have to rethink tradi- thinking at the top achieves tangi-
tional hiring methods and we have ble results.
Emily Hill

NEURODIVERSIT Y AND EMPLOYMENT

he term “neurodiver- but it is not alone. Software giant executive sponsor for diversity and
T sity” has come of age. SAP and advertising firm Ogilvy inclusion at SAP. “With neurodi- The prevalence, and challenges, of neurodiversity
First coined in 1998 by are both making strides to improve verse employees in particular, I am
Australian sociologist Judy Singer, staff neurodiversity. always struck with the raw authen-
who is herself autistic, it now rep- For instance, SAP has created and ticity they bring to our teams and
resents a key priority for the most invested heavily in an autism pro- customer relationships; they inter-
dynamic and forward-thinking gramme by restructuring its hiring pret and present ideas with such
human resources and C-suite exec- process to encourage neurodiverse clarity, which as a business leader is
utives, as well as a talent pool that recruitment. By taking neurodi- extremely refreshing.”
remains largely untapped.
“Neurodiversity in the workplace
has only relatively recently become
versity seriously, it has not only
strengthened the position of its
brand to future talent, but has also
Neurodiversity in the workplace
is not something SAP has incorpo-
rated simply as a matter of equality
10% 16%
an area of focus for HR profession- and inclusion; it’s something that’s
als,” says Shaun Hogan, senior asso- helpful to its business.
ciate at Stevens & Bolton. “It needs “When you also look at some of
to be at the forefront of their agenda the more typical traits which come
given that those who are neurodi- with those individuals who are on
vergent may qualify as suffering the spectrum, such as having strong
from a disability under the Equality visual learning skills with an ability of the of autistic adults in
Act 2010, which is often overlooked.” I am always struck to recognise patterns, then atten- population is the UK are in full-time
Professional services giant EY is tion to detail, concentration and neurodivergent employment
consciously pursuing a policy of with the raw perseverance over long periods, as
NEURODIVERSIT Y neurodiverse recruitment. “There
are three key benefits for our busi-
authenticity they well as high diligence and low tol-
erance for mistakes, are just some
bring to our teams

The business
ness,” says Justine Campbell, of the skills you can expect to gain
EY’s managing partner for tal-
ent. “First, the future depends on
and customer from expanding your talent pool in
this way,” says Mr Duffy.
relationships
73% 6%
our ability to innovate and this Both EY and SAP credit

case for
requires us to recognise and har- Specialisterne, a specialist consul-
ness diverse perspectives. Second, tancy that recruits and supports
our clients and communities are talented people with autism and
diverse and expect us to under- Asperger syndrome, for helping

neurodiversity
stand their needs and to represent helped improve productivity, cre- them develop a more neurodiverse
them in our workforce. ativity and efficiency. Its neurodi- recruitment process.
“And third, our own analy- verse employees currently occupy To embrace neurodiversity is to
sis, as well as many public stud- roles in 20 different business areas, appreciate how minds that think
ies, demonstrate that diverse and including engineering, research and differently might have insights
of unemployed autistic likelihood of people
inclusive organisations achieve development, HR, data protection that simply don’t occur to the rest

ceoamp.com
people say they want with learning
greater margins, profitability and and customer support. of the workforce.
Embracing a neurodiverse talent pool is customer satisfaction, and enjoy “This really is creating an impact “The ad industry in particu-
to work disabilities achieving
paid employment in
about more than equality and inclusion, increased employee engagement
and retention.”
on the full business, rather than
simply a small pocket of teams,”
lar is often perceived as an indus-
try where only those who exhibit
their lifetime

it’s actually best for business EY is leading the way when it comes says Brian Duffy, president Europe, extroverted, dominant personality
to neurodiversity in the workplace, Middle East and Africa North, and traits can succeed,” explains Helen CIPD, “Neurodiversity at work” 2018
20 FUTURE OF HR

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